A Little Love in a Hate Bond
by madaquarius
Summary: The story starts after the Phantom Lord Arc. As atonement for her sin, Lucy works hard to prove to everyone and herself that she's not a burden to the guild. But Laxus keeps making her feel otherwise. Will he finally succeed in breaking her resolve? Or will the celestial mage end up breaking his heart?
1. The Aftermath

**Chapter One:** **The**** Aftermath**

Following Fairy Tail's victory against Phantom Lord, Lucy spent the next few days in her apartment, lying in bed. She was still trying to recuperate from the bruises that she had suffered from Gajeel's brutal beating. Her worst one was on the left side of her waist. It was where the iron mage had mercilessly kicked her so hard that it left a dark contusion.

Her teammate, Natsu, would sometimes drop by her apartment along with Happy to check in on her and update her regarding the guildhall's reconstruction. It had fallen into ruins during the battle with Phantom Lord, but everyone in Fairy Tail was now helping each other to rebuild it. Well, everyone except her.

"I'm sorry for being so useless," she told Natsu one morning, slowly sitting up on her bed. "I should be helping you guys out there."

"_Oi, oi_. We don't mind," said the fire mage earnestly, dropping flat on the floor and then crossing his legs. "You gotta rest and recover your strength, ya know."

"But it's my fault that Phantom Lord attacked Fairy Tail and destroyed the guildhall," she reminded him quietly. She knew that she sounded pathetic, but she couldn't help it. She blamed herself.

"I thought we're over this," he argued, rolling his eyes. "It's _not_ your fault. So, quit bein' hard on yourself. It doesn't suit ya." Then, he shrugged his broad shoulders. "Besides, Phantom Lord had been Fairy Tail's long-time rival, so we had to fight at some point. Know what I mean, Luigi?"

Lucy didn't even bother to reprimand him about calling her Luigi again. She felt so embarrassed and guilty that her friends had risked their lives in fighting to protect her because her father, Jude, had paid Phantom Lord for her kidnapping.

She heaved a sigh, bowing her head and letting her blonde hair fall to her face. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get rid of the mental image of her friends looking at her in shock when they had discovered who she really was—a runaway daughter of a wealthy and powerful business tycoon. A Heartfilia.

They probably thought that she was mad to have given up a comfortable life when she already had everything, she mused, but that wasn't the case for her. At home, her father would always ignore her and force her to do things his way. It had been a lonely, miserable life since her mother's passing. When she ran away, she had never felt so relieved.

_I badly want to stay in Fairy Tail_, she thought, feeling a lump in her throat. _They're like a family to me, and they're all so kind. But how can I face them after everything that's happened?_

"Natsu," she began weakly, raising her head to look at him, but her nakama childishly blew a raspberry to silence her.

"I know what you're gonna say, and I don't wanna hear it," he said dismissively, running his hand through his spiky pink hair. "Just get better, will ya? Mira said the job requests are pilin' up, and I'm anxious to get started on a new adventure with my team!"

The celestial mage watched Natsu as he got up and climbed over her window. After casting one last encouraging look at her, he turned to the blue feline and urged, "_Ikuzo_, Happy!"

"Aye!" cried the Exceed before jumping out of the window with Natsu. "Get well soon, Lushi!"

As soon as her friends left, Lucy lay back down in her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She closed her eyes and, moments later, broke down into tears.

* * *

Writing letters to her late mother, Layla, had always been Lucy's source of strength. Even though she couldn't see her, she always felt like her mother was nearby, listening to her whenever she was scribbling down her thoughts and feelings.

Today, Lucy wrote about how relieved she felt that she could move freely again. It had been two weeks now since the battle with Phantom Lord, and her injuries were healing quite nicely. The contusion in her waist was still there, but the color was much lighter than before.

She still had some doubts about coming back to the guild, but she realized that she owes everyone an apology and a thank you for risking their lives to protect her. She hadn't even thanked Loke yet for returning her celestial gate keys through Natsu when she had accidentally dropped them at the time she got kidnapped.

She took a deep breath. She decided to muster up her courage and face everyone in Fairy Tail today. Even if they would decide to no longer welcome her back, she at least could say goodbye to them in person. Where she would go next, she didn't know, but she could never go back to her old life with her father, who only seemed to care about his money.

If Fairy Tail would decide to accept her again, then she would do everything to atone for her sin. She would train hard and become a stronger celestial mage so she could at least protect her friends in times of danger.

Lucy was about to put the finished letter to her late mother into a piece of envelope when Natsu and Happy came up to her window and greeted, "Yo!"

She let out a shriek and then glared at them. "Don't startle me like that, you two!" she cried in frustration. "And how many times do I have to say it? Use the door!"

"Wow, I kinda missed all that yelling from you, Luigi," said Natsu cheerfully, apparently unfazed by her annoyed expression. "Welcome back!"

She was about to retort: "It's Lucy!" But then she paused, realizing that she was indeed back to her old self again, and her teammate just noticed. Blushing, she turned her attention back to her folded letter and stuffed it hastily into the envelope. Then, she sealed it and placed it inside a chest box.

_Heh. Look at how flustered she is_, thought Natsu, exchanging smirks with Happy. His other friends in Fairy Tail, especially Erza and Gray, had been urging him to persuade Lucy to come back to the guild since she hadn't shown up for two weeks. Even Loke, who was always nervous around celestial wizards, had sent his regards.

"Well, it does feel nice to have my old energy back," the celestial mage admitted, placing her hands to her heart. "Thanks again for looking after me, Natsu. You, too, Happy."

"Aye," said the blue feline. "We're a team, remember?'

Natsu just grunted. Then, he wondered if he should tell Lucy that two of Phantom Lord's S-Class mages had recently joined Fairy Tail since the former guild had been disbanded by the Magic Council. But if he brought it up right now, it might alarm her.

According to Lucy, Gajeel and Juvia were the ones who had attacked and kidnapped her. However, the fire mage believed that they weren't really evil. They were probably just forced to obey their former guild master's orders, so Natsu chose to give them a chance when Makarov had introduced them as the new members of Fairy Tail.

No. He decided that he wanted Lucy to enjoy her first few days of being able to step out of her apartment after being stuck in the place for the past two weeks. Besides, it wasn't only her injuries that had forced her to stay in her shell. She probably had also been traumatized and feeling sorry for herself. Seriously, his nakama was so easy to read.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Lucy suddenly asked, snapping Natsu out of his thoughts.

"What—? Oh, nothing," he said hastily. "You ready to head to the guild, now?" He openly inspected her "work" outfit, which meant her skin-tight white blouse with blue trimmings that matched her blue skirt and a pair of leather high heeled boots. Her celestial gate keys, as usual, were safely hanged from her belt.

Lucy quickly wrapped her arms around herself, feeling self-conscious. "Hey, don't give me that creepy look!"

"Natsu's checking you out," teased Happy, snickering. "He _loooves_ you!"

"Shut up, Happy. It's not like that," she snapped. Then, she smiled and nodded her head at the fire mage. "Yeah, I think I'm ready to see our friends again."

Natsu grinned back at her. "Then, let's go, _Lucy_."

* * *

When Lucy arrived at the Fairy Tail site with Natsu and Happy, she was amazed at how the guildhall was nearly at its completion. She could see Erza bossing everyone around and instructing them what to do. Gray forgot to wear his clothes again, but he was working on hammering the nails on one of the double doors of the guildhall. When she thought that she saw Loke's figure in a corner, it disappeared the moment she craned her neck to get a better look.

"Lu-chan!"

Lucy turned her head and saw Levy, together with Jet and Droy, running toward her. The petite mage then extended her slender arms and hugged her, squeezing her tightly.

"How are you, Lu-chan?" she asked concernedly. "We've been so worried about you!"

"_Ne_, Levy-chan." Lucy suddenly felt embarrassed. Levy was one of her friends whom got along so well. "I… I just wanted to say…"

"Lucy," interrupted Erza, walking over toward her. "Don't say any more. Natsu already told us how you felt about everything." She crossed her arms over her armored chest, smiling smugly. "And I gotta say I'd have to agree with him. Getting all gloomy like that doesn't suit you at all."

Lucy gaped at the redhead, blushing furiously. She had always admired the requip mage, more so when they had teamed up for the first time against Eisenwald and his followers in Oshibana Town. Although it was a dangerous mission, Lucy had had the time of her life, being able to work with such strong mages like her, Natsu, and Gray.

"Welcome back, Lucy," chimed in Gray, draping an arm around her and pulling her into a side hug. Then, he looked around. "Hold on. I was sure Loke was here. Where did he go?"

Before she could react at having been pressed against Gray's bare chest, Natsu growled at him. "_Oi, oi_. Let go of her, you ice pervert."

The ice mage immediately did, looking flustered, but then he glared at the fire mage. "Who're you calling a pervert, flame-brain?" he retorted.

Within seconds, the two of them engaged in a fistfight, catching everyone's attention. Lucy didn't know whether to laugh or feel worried. Natsu and Gray never ceased to amaze her with their fierce yet friendly rivalry on who was the stronger and more skilled fighter.

"So, this new girl is the _culprit_."

Wait—that deep voice didn't sound friendly at all. The celestial mage spun around and saw Laxus standing in a towering height several feet away, his muscular arms folded over his broad chest. His blond hair was spiky as usual, and his gray eyes bore a piercing look. All of a sudden, Lucy could feel her hearting pounding.

Ever since she joined Fairy Tail, she always felt uneasy around Laxus because of his arrogant and cold nature. She had already scratched him out of her perfect boyfriend list booklet along with Loke, the resident playboy.

"Knock it off, Laxus," said Mirajane, who had stepped in front of Lucy protectively. "You weren't even here to help us when Phantom Lord attacked. You have no right to say things like that!"

"Mira-san," uttered Lucy, her breath caught in her chest. It was Mirajane who had put her to sleep with a magic spell to prevent her from handing herself over to Phantom Lord when Fairy Tail was at a disadvantage during the time of the battle.

"Ah? _Nandato_?" Laxus sneered at the take-over mage. "You better watch your tone, Mira. You are, after all, talking to the next Fairy Tail guild master."

Natsu and Gray halted, enraged. The rest of the Fairy Tail guild members started forming a circle around them, their faces looking grim.

"What did you say, Laxus?" yelled the fire mage, his fists suddenly engulfed in flames.

"You'll never be Guild Master even if you're Makarov's grandson," said the ice mage, pulling back his arm and placing a fist on his palm. "Master would never allow someone who belittles his comrades to take over Fairy Tail."

Lucy shot a glance at Gray, stunned, and then she turned her attention back to Laxus, who raised his right eyebrow at her, stretching along his lightning-shaped scar across it. _Laxus is Master Makarov's grandson?_ If so, then he would likely be taking over the guild should Makarov retire.

"How rich of you to come back here, Princess," the lightning mage taunted, pointedly ignoring Natsu and Gray. "Tell me. How did it feel when you learned that you're the cause of our guildhall's destruction? If you ask me, you're not even worth all the trouble."

It was like a slap in the face and a shot to the heart. Lucy could feel her body trembling and tears forming around her eyes. Right now, she wanted to run as far away from him as possible, but her body wouldn't move. Everything in her gut told her to stay right where she was.

Within seconds, Natsu and Gray angrily charged toward Laxus, but the blond mage easily evaded their attacks by using his lightning magic to transport his body from one place to another at high speed. Since they couldn't catch him, he kept on laughing at them.

"Natsu, Gray, that's enough!" shouted Erza, causing the younger mages to stop immediately. "Just ignore him and get back to work. Everyone—get _back_ to work!" The requip mage turned to Lucy and nodded at her. "And that includes you, too, Lucy."

The Fairy Tail guild members, except for Lucy and Laxus—who stood glaring at each other—started going back to their respective work. Natsu and Gray grudgingly followed Erza, along with Mirajane and the Shadow Gear, to help with the repairs.

"Why aren't you following them?" questioned Laxus in his deep voice, smirking at her. "Don't you want to be with your little friends first before you leave the guild?"

Gritting her teeth, Lucy decided that she wasn't going to back down to this… this arrogant prick. She willed herself not to get intimidated by him—even if he was the guild master's grandson, an S-Class mage, and a member of her newfound family. He had an attitude, and someone should put him in his place.

"I'm not going _anywhere_," she told him coldly, catching him by surprise. "And you can't boss me around. I'm going to prove that I'm _not_ a burden to this guild or a weakling!" With that, she turned on her heel and hurried after her friends.

Laxus stared after her in amusement. The blonde girl was not only a weakling, but she was pretty stubborn as well. Seriously, he hated it when Fairy Tail housed spoiled and entitled softies like her. A few days ago, he had been in another town for a mission when he heard some of the townsfolk gossiping and laughing at the Fairy Tail guildhall's demise. They had even mentioned that the guild was going south for having weak wizards as members. Of course, he had electrocuted them with lightning and sent them flying without hesitation.

No one should ever make fun of Fairy Tail. The lightning mage blamed his grandfather for being so lenient toward his reckless comrades. Not only the old geezer hadn't kicked Lucy out, but he also had the nerve to welcome Gajeel and Juvia into the guild after the disbandment of Phantom Lord, making them a magic guild that accepted garbage.

Laxus couldn't wait for his grandfather to retire. As soon as Fairy Tail was entirely his to command, he would redefine the rules and ascertain that no one would dare laugh at their magic guild ever again. Then, he would expel anyone who didn't deserve the Fairy Tail guild mark.

_I'll get rid of the garbage, _he thought to himself. _And I'll start with this blonde chick. _He turned around and vanished from sight, leaving streaks of lightning in his wake.


	2. Family Issues

**Chapter Two:** **Family**** Issues **

Lucy mopped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and then sat on one of the barstools inside the guildhall with Erza and Mirajane.They had been working their butts off with the rest of their guildmates with the building's reconstruction—_all day_.

Natsu, Happy, and Gray had already taken off, saying that they needed to look for Loke since the resident playboy had disappeared again. The Shadow Gear, on the other hand, had volunteered to buy some more snacks and bottles of water for their guildmates.

Lucy still hadn't seen the rest of Fairy Tail's core members. But Mirajane had told her that everyone in the guild had agreed to take turns in helping with the guildhall's reconstruction and taking on job requests.

_So far so good_, she thought happily, looking around the guildhall. All they had to do now was to dust the walls, mop the floor, and wipe the long tables clean—and everything should be perfect. They had already finished with the necessary repairs to put the guildhall back to its place. _Man,__ it was a long day! _

"How are you holding up, Lucy?" asked Erza, nodding at her.

"Pretty great," she replied promptly to the requip mage, smiling shyly at her. "Thanks, Erza-san. You know, for everything."

Erza nodded. "Listen. Don't mind, Laxus," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "For your information, he wasn't always like that."

"That's true," Mirajane agreed. "The Laxus we used to know was kind and caring toward his comrades. He was like a big brother to all of us, even to Natsu."

"Really?" said Lucy, raising her eyebrows. "With the way that he is now, that's kind of hard to believe."

"I understand where you're coming from," the requip mage told her. She paused for a moment and then went on. "His father, Ivan, was excommunicated by Master Makarov a long time ago. No one knew why, but Laxus was distraught by it even if his father hadn't paid much attention to him. Since then, Laxus started becoming distant to everyone, including his grandfather. They used to be close."

"I see," mumbled Lucy, nodding her head. _So, he had issues with his father, too. Not to mention__ his grandfather. But that didn't excuse him for acting like a jerk. _

"Laxus and Master Makarov never seem to agree on anything anymore, including on how to run the guild," explained Mirajane in a sad tone. "Laxus believes that being the most powerful is everything, but Master thinks otherwise. To him, the bond between comrades is far more important." Then, she smiled and winked. "It's our shared bond that makes us the strongest."

Lucy smiled back, moved by the take-over mage's words. But then her smile faltered when she thought about what Laxus went through. "It's sad to think about how things had ended up with Ivan. What could the man have done…?" she trailed off and bit her lip, realizing that she was probing something that wasn't any of her business.

Maybe she just felt sorry for Laxus because she knew what it felt like to have problems in the family, to have lost a bond that used to be so special. But she also knew that there was no point in living in the past. She wouldn't be able to appreciate how incredible her friends were in the guild otherwise.

"Believe me. We all wondered the same thing," said Erza, shaking her head. "But Master Makarov has had his reasons for severing ties with his own son. He only said that he wanted to protect Fairy Tail. And we trust his judgment."

_Severing ties_, thought Lucy, thinking hard. Then, she suddenly felt her heart race._ That's it! I__ have to sever ties with my dad. It's only a matter of time before he'd use his money again to hurt my friends and take me back by force. I want to protect Fairy Tail, too. _

She quickly rose to her feet and glanced at Erza and Mirajane. "You guys," she said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "I-I need to go somewhere if that's okay with you. It's important."

The older mages looked at her in surprise, but then they nodded. "Take care, Lucy," said Mirajane, tilting her head and smiling at her sweetly. "Be sure to come back tomorrow."

Lucy grinned back. "Thanks, Mira-san. I will."

On her way out of the guild, Lucy ran into Cana, Bisca, and Alzack. Judging by their disheveled hair and torn clothes, they probably just got back from a rough mission. But they were wearing a smile that looked like they got a hefty reward for the trouble.

"Long time no see, Blondie," greeted Cana, throwing her a wink. "We heard that Laxus gave you a hard time this morning."

"Tch! That pompous jerk," said Alzack, shaking his head. "Someday, his attitude will bite him in the ass."

"It's fine, really," told Lucy, smiling at them reassuringly. "I know he doesn't like me very much, but he's still a comrade. I'll put up with him."

The three of them exchanged glances, looking amused.

"Well, just be careful," said Bisca. "He can be a real pain sometimes—but don't forget that he also has a weakness." With that, she threw back her head and laughed.

"Oh, Bisca," muttered Alzack, blushing slightly and looking away. "_Don't_."

Lucy narrowed her eyes questioningly at him and then at Bisca. But it was Cana who spoke. "One time, Bisca and I pulled a prank on Laxus because he was being a jerk to Alzack," the card mage explained. She slung an arm around Bisca's shoulders and snickered.

"So, uh, what did you guys do to him?" asked Lucy curiously.

"Well," the cowgirl began coyly. "Cana and I made out in front of him. Damn, did he get so red in the face! He couldn't take the heat, so he stormed off."

Cana and Bisca burst out laughing, but Alzack was looking uncomfortable. Lucy shook her head at them, feeling embarrassed and amazed at the same time. That was some stunt they pulled, she mused.

The card user wiped her eyes, still giggling. "Laxus may be a powerful mage, but he's not immune to a woman's charms. After all, he was raised to be a pretty decent guy, you know?"

Alzack cleared his throat and turned to Lucy. "Anyway, we're all down for a drink. Care to join us?" he offered.

Lucy shook her head. "Thanks, but I need to go somewhere right now," she told him.

"You've taken a job request?" asked Cana.

"No. It's a personal matter."

"It's cool, Lucy," said Bisca, waving her hand. "We'll see you around then."

Nodding her head and smiling, the celestial mage excused herself from the trio. Then, she headed toward the direction of her apartment, deciding that she needed to take a shower first and pack a few things before her trip. The thought of seeing her father again made her anxious, but she needed to do this.

_Once I sever ties with him, it should be all over, right? _But even as she thought of cutting ties with her estranged father for good, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest. Once upon a time, she and Jude had shared a loving father-daughter relationship. That was when her mother, Layla, had been alive. Everything had drastically changed after that.

_He doesn't love me anymore. If anything, he just needed me to help him expand his business because I'm his daughter. Oh, Dad… What a cruel father you've become._

* * *

When Laxus left the guildhall, he headed into the woods to train. He could feel his lightning dragon slayer magic increasing its voltage power yet again.

Years ago, when he was still a sickly boy, Ivan had implanted a dragon slayer lacrima into his body, giving him the strength and ability to absorb lightning to enhance his lightning magic. Laxus had interpreted the gesture as his father's way of showing his fatherly love despite the man's cold treatment to him.

Then, all of a sudden, he never saw his father again. Makarov had banished Ivan from Fairy Tail and forbidden Laxus to look for him, saying that it was an order. Laxus had begged his grandfather for an explanation, but the old geezer told him that it was for his protection and Fairy Tail's. Since then, there was a rift between the grandfather and grandson.

The lightning mage could still hear Makarov's voice._ "Don't believe anything that your__ father says, Laxus. He's only manipulating you for his own means."_

_To hell with you, Jiji. _

Laxus used to look up to his grandfather because he was the one who had taught him how to use his lightning magic and practically raised him. His mother had died after giving birth to him, and Ivan hadn't been around much. But after the guild master's decision to destroy whatever chances that he and his father could have for a father-son relationship, he had made it his resolve to rebel.

Mirajane, Erza, and Gray had empathized with him because they had lost people that they loved, too, but their words of comfort only riled him up. He didn't need any comforting words from anyone. That only entailed that he was weak. He wanted answers.

The Thunder Legion was the only group of people in Fairy Tail that he trusted. Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow were loyal to him and always followed his commands. At the moment, the three of them were in another town, investigating Ivan's whereabouts as per Laxus' orders. But a couple of weeks from now, his friends would return.

In the meantime, he decided to train to pass the time. Maybe he could mess around with that blonde chick until she would finally run back to her filthy rich daddy and never come back. Then, he would deal with Gajeel and Juvia later and give them the retribution that they deserved.

Laxus removed his black fur-trimmed coat from his shoulders and tossed it aside. Then, he raised his fist into the air and summoned his lightning magic. There was a thunderclap that could be heard by the townspeople of Magnolia. His training had begun.

* * *

It was already past six o'clock in the evening when Laxus walked along the well-lit streets of Magnolia, enjoying the timid glances that the townspeople were giving him. After taking a bath in a public bathhouse, he decided to eat a large bowl of ramen for dinner. All that training from earlier had left him with a ravenous appetite.

When he finally found the ramen place that he was looking for, he eagerly headed toward its direction with his stomach growling. It was an average-sized white stall that had a single wooden counter with a few barstools for the customers. Most of the townspeople would order the food in his favorite ramen place as a takeaway_—_ but not him.

As he got closer to the stall, he wrinkled his nose when he caught a familiar scent. Then, he grunted when he realized it was Lucy.

The celestial mage was sitting alone on one of the barstools and digging into a bowl of ramen. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he studied her for a moment. The blonde chick was wearing a short cream-colored dress that clung to her body and curves. Her smooth back was exposed from the neck down to her waist, and her blonde hair was neatly tied in a ponytail. This time, she wore a pair of red sandals instead of her usual leather boots. She did carry an air of a spoiled rich girl, but an enticingly pretty one.

Laxus frowned at where his thoughts went, realizing how easily he was distracted by her sheer feminine appearance. In truth, he had very little experience with women. For many years, his only objective had been to master his lightning magic so that as soon as he could find his father, he would earn his respect. He hadn't had time to date women or delve into any romantic stuff as a typical teenage boy would. Loke, along with Cana and Bisca, had even teased him about it.

"What are you _staring_ at?"

The lightning mage blinked, suddenly realizing that Lucy had spoken to him, her expression wary. He cleared his throat to compose himself.

"You're sitting on my spot, but no matter," he responded casually. He smoothly seated himself beside her and nodded at the ramen master in front of him. "The usual, please."

"Never thought I'd hear you say the word _please_," remarked Lucy, pushing her unfinished bowl away. No longer having the appetite to eat, she started to stand up, but then Laxus reached out and gripped her by the upper arm. Startled, she let out a tiny gasp and stared at him. "What are you doing?"

"Sit down," commanded Laxus, giving her a dead stare. "Don't waste the good food here, you _spoiled_ little girl."

Her eyes widened in surprise at his words. She caught the ramen master's eye and blushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed. She bowed her head to the elderly man apologetically and then shifted back to her seat. Then, the other mage released his grip.

Minutes later, Laxus' ramen bowl arrived, and they both ate in silence. There were no other customers in the stall, making things more uncomfortable between them.

Lucy did her best to finish her meal as quickly as she could. Aside from her desire to steer clear of this powerfully-built man in a dark coat, she also had to hurry and find a cheap inn somewhere to spend the night before she could travel again toward the Heartfilia Residence. She knew that it was going to be a long walk to the mansion, so she would need all the rest that she could get.

Sensing her agitation, Laxus turned to her. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked idly, nodding at the small pink luggage next to her. For some reason, he was in the mood for a conversation.

Maybe it was because the ramen was too good.

"None of your business," replied the celestial mage lightly. She raised the bowl to her lips and drained the soup, almost choking in the process. Then, she smacked her lips, pulled out a few bills, and handed them to the ramen master. She bowed and thanked the old man for the food.

Irked by her response, Laxus grabbed her by the upper arm again and tugged her close to him. Using his other hand, he lifted his own bowl to his lips and downed the remaining ramen. Then, he paid his bill as well.

The ramen master quickly busied himself in cleaning the counter with his eyes down after he had received the payment. _I should mind my own business_, he thought, feeling sorry for the poor girl.

"Would you let go of me already?" hissed Lucy, trying to free herself from his grasp to no avail.

"I asked you a question," Laxus told her calmly, watching her struggle. He sure as hell wasn't going to let her think that she could dismiss him like that. Not after when he was actually in the mood to be a little nice to her.

Lucy stared at him as if contemplating. Then, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. If you _must_ know, I'm on my way to see my dad."

"Ah? Running back home to daddy, I see," he sneered, looming his face over to hers. "I thought you said that you're not leaving Fairy Tail. What changed your mind?"

She stiffened as she was now staring directly into his eyes. But she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she felt intimidated by him. Her voice carefully controlled, she finally spoke. "I _didn't_. I'm only going to see my dad to sever ties with him."

He stared at her, trying to process what she had just said. The way she had spoken so indifferently about severing ties with her father caught him off guard. What Laxus wouldn't give to have his own father by his side again—and here was Lucy, wanting to dispose of hers?

"Why would you want to sever ties with your dad?" he demanded without thinking. It wasn't any of his business, and he didn't care, but he still found himself wanting to know.

"Because I know he's going to come after Fairy Tail again if I don't go back home," she responded, her eyes blazing. "And I _don't_ want to go back home. Fairy Tail's my family now."

His expression hardened. "But he's your own flesh and blood."

"Flesh and blood doesn't make you a family. If you share a special bond with someone, then they're your family," she told him firmly. "Right now, I can only feel that bond with Natsu and the rest of Fairy Tail." _Ugh, why do I even bother explaining myself to this guy!_

Laxus quickly let go of her, his blood drained from his face. Lucy staggered back, breathing hard. Seizing the opportunity that he appeared to be lost in thought, the celestial mage grabbed her luggage and walked briskly into the streets. Moments later, she broke into a run.

She presumed that what she had told him triggered something in his memory because he had started spacing out with a hurt look in his face. But now was not the time to think about his concerns. She needed to settle her own first.

"Laxus-sama, are you all right?"

Laxus turned his head and saw the ramen master looking at him concernedly as he was putting away the empty bowls from the counter. Then, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm all right, old man."

Finally making his way into the streets, he pondered at what Lucy had told him. _"Flesh and__ blood doesn't make you a family. If you share a special bond with someone, then they're your family."_

In truth, his father hadn't often been around for him, unlike his grandfather and guildmates. In fact, the man had always been hostile. Laxus had never understood why. Still, he hadn't stopped trying to earn his love. But when Ivan got excommunicated, Laxus felt that he had lost that chance. His guildmates had tried to console him. Hell, some of them had even tried to pick a fight with Makarov for his sake because they had a sibling-like bond.

But Ivan had also cared about him, right? The small bond that they had shared when his father placed a lacrima into his body to help him was special. Even if the method had him scream in pain, the man had only done something that a father would do to nurse back his sickly son to health. His father hadn't wanted him to die; Laxus was his flesh and blood, his family. He had mattered to him.

Now hating how his evening had turned out—and how her words had messed with his head—the lightning mage decided to do something about that blonde chick as payback.

* * *

"That would be 7000J."

"Sounds good. I'll take the room."

Lucy had found a cozy inn a few miles away from the Heartfilia Residence. She decided to rest up first and then travel again tomorrow morning. She expected that her father would be home in his mansion the next day because it was a weekend. The sooner she could talk to him, the better.

After she took a leisurely bath in her room, she dressed herself up with the inn's complimentary robes and then threw herself onto the bed, trying to recall what had transpired earlier in the evening.

Laxus was _insane_. He certainly had issues, and he was directing all his anger at her. Why did he want her to leave Fairy Tail so badly? Because she was weak? She might not be the best fighter out there, but she definitely wasn't weak!

She suddenly thought of Natsu. After she was done with her business with Jude, she would want to go on adventures again with her nakama and possibly train with him. Hopefully, the fire mage wouldn't burn her in the process. She wanted to become stronger so she could protect her guild.

_Oh, Natsu. Thank you for bringing me to Fairy Tail. Because of you, I have a new family. _

Tired and worn out, Lucy finally closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, not knowing that someone had followed her.


	3. The Heartfilia Residence

**Chapter Three:** **The**** Heartfilia Residence**

"_I shouldn't have left without speaking to you. It was a poor decision on my part, one I now deeply regret."_

Lucy was only half-awake when her mind began devising a speech for her father. It was strange because her brain usually wouldn't function for the next twenty minutes or so upon gaining even the slightest speck of consciousness on any given day. She must really found it urgent to speak with Jude.

"_The reason why I came back here was to show you my resolve. This time, I came to express my feelings before I leave. Dad, I want to walk my own path."_

"Sounds like a perfect speech to me," said a friendly voice from a faraway distance.

_It sure is. My brain just came up with it_, she thought happily. Then, moments later, she frowned, sensing that something was seriously wrong about the whole situation. There also seemed to be a nagging presence near her, but then her mind could be playing tricks. After all, she was still in a place between sleep and awake.

"You know, you sure talk loudly in your sleep. I'm kind of starting to dig it," the same friendly voice remarked. It sounded much closer this time—like someone was in the same room with her.

No, wait. There _was_ someone in her room. The familiarness of this person's magic was too unmistakable to ignore—if it was indeed a person. It would depend on how it would take its form according to what she knew about celestial spirits.

Lucy opened her eyes and found herself looking directly at Loke. He was sitting carelessly on a winged chair across her bed with his arms folded over his chest. He had short, spiky orange hair and sported an orange shirt, mostly covered by his green coat with fur-trimming lining the hood, above his dark pants and white sneakers. Azure-tinted sunglasses almost obscured his eyes.

"Good morning, Lucy," he said.

"Loke?" she mumbled. Still groggy, she slowly sat up and tried to hold her loose robes in place so she could cover herself properly. She wondered if she was still dreaming. "Your… your magic. It's…"

But his knowing smile immediately brought the celestial mage to full cognizance of his presence.

"You're a celestial spirit," gasped Lucy, her eyes now wide in surprise.

"Yes. I'm Leo the Lion."

She couldn't believe her ears. So, Loke was a celestial spirit after all! No wonder his magic felt familiar to her. But then, he wasn't just any celestial spirit—Leo the Lion was known to be the leader of the Zodiac twelve. He was a mighty celestial warrior, and he was right in front of her. She couldn't be more pleased.

According to her research, Leo the Lion was known for his pride, self-confidence, and heart of gold. He was also a loyal celestial spirit, but Lucy heard a long time ago that he had been mistreated by a popular celestial mage named Karen Lilica. When she heard about her passing, she knew that somewhere out there, Leo was in contract with a new owner. She never thought that he had been freely goofing around with Natsu and Gray in Fairy Tail this whole time.

"Wait. Is that why you've been avoiding me?" she asked curiously. "Because I'm a celestial mage?"

"Yes," he replied, "and I'm sorry for that. I truly am. It's just—I wasn't ready to make a contract with any celestial mages. I haven't been for years, and over that, I enjoyed doing whatever I wanted and having control over myself. I was afraid that if you knew that I was a celestial spirit, you'd take my gate key from me and then make me your servant."

"Hey, hold on just a minute, _Leo_," she said, feeling offended by his presumption. "I don't treat my celestial spirits as servants. I treat them like they're my friends! But if you're so afraid that I'd take your gate key from you, then why are you here talking to me right now?"

Leo shrugged. "Well, I can't avoid you in the guild forever. We're family now," he said simply. "That's why I followed you here to tell you who I am. Again, I'm sorry for the way I had treated you before—you know, when I avoided you and all."

Lucy softened at that. "Thanks, Leo," she told him gratefully. "For telling me the truth. And I also want to thank you for returning my celestial gate keys through Natsu—you know, during the battle with Phantom Lord." She smiled at him. "Don't worry. I won't take your gate key from you. You must think that I'm such a klutz for dropping my other gate keys the last time."

The celestial warrior ran a hand through his hair. "That's the reason why I'm here as well. I want you to be my gate key holder."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Me? But why? I thought you said that you didn't want to make a contract with a celestial mage."

"Yesterday morning, I heard what you said to Laxus about wanting to prove yourself to the guild," he explained. "I really admired your courage, standing up to him. You didn't see me there, of course, because I had kept myself hidden." He looked sheepish, but then he grinned. "Anyway, as your new celestial warrior, I'll help you train to become a stronger celestial mage if you so wish it."

"_Honto_? You'd do that for me?"

"_Honto_. Anything for you."

Leo rose to his feet and walked over to her. Then, he pulled out a golden key from the side pocket of his pants and handed it over to her. He knew he was making the right decision because it turned out that Lucy wasn't like the other celestial mages whom he had worked for in the past—he realized that after finally talking to her.

His new mistress was kind-hearted and brave—not to mention beautiful. Maybe during their training, she would eventually reciprocate his feelings for her.

"I appreciate this, Leo," said Lucy sincerely, holding the golden gate key in her hand. "So, uh, should I start making the contract with you now?"

He nodded at her in response.

"Okay, I'll sign you to the contract. Are you available on Mondays?"

"Yes."

"How about on Tuesdays?"

"Yes."

"Wednesdays? Thursdays?"

"Yes, yes."

Lucy frowned. "Are you available _all_ the time?"

"Yes," replied Leo, snickering.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, then why didn't you just tell me that earlier? Okay, great. Now, the contract is complete. Are you sure you're fine with me calling for your help anytime?"

"You can summon me anytime for _anything_," he told her, giving her a flirty wink.

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes again at him again. "Thanks, I guess."

"Now, how about we both seal the contract with a kiss as a formality?" He leaned over to her and puckered his lips.

Lucy made a face at him, realizing that Leo was still the old Loke after all. "That's not how it works, Leo," she said, covering his mouth with her hand before it could reach hers. Yeah, she was definitely not reconsidering him in her perfect boyfriend list booklet. "Anyway, about this training, how about we do it tomorrow? I have somewhere to be today."

"Fine by me," he said when he straightened up. "But on a serious note, if you need anything, you're welcome to open my gate key and call on me, okay?"

She nodded and winked at him.

"Ah, the things you do for love," he uttered dreamily. Then, he waved his hand at her and dissipated into the air like a celestial warrior that he was when returning to the celestial spirit world.

* * *

It was all coming back to her, the memories of her childhood. The friendly servants and gardeners at home. Her dolls and other toys. The elderly homeschooler. Her loving parents. As Lucy stared at the front of the Heartfilia Residence, she could hear her heart thumping in her chest. The mansion looked the same as she remembered it. _Everything_ looked the same.

She had bought a flower bouquet from a flower shop that she just passed by along the way to the vast land that was owned by her family. She wanted to visit her mother's gravestone first before coming up to her father's office. She finally found it in the cemetery inside the Heartfilia gardens.

Layla Heartfilia X748-X777.

"Hey there, Mom," said Lucy, kneeling in front of her mother's gravestone. "You know, a lot has happened since I left home. I'm not the same person as before, but I sure hope you're proud of me. I still have a long way to go, but there's nothing that I do that isn't for you. Wherever you are, I hope you're happy. And please help me make Dad understand."

She gently placed the flowers on Layla's gravestone and let her tears fall to her cheeks. For a few minutes, she wept in silence, thinking about the memories she had shared with the most beautiful woman in the world to her. Part of her wanted to go back to the way things used to be with her family, but her other part also knew that she was better off moving forward with her life.

Now, it was time to face her father.

* * *

"I shouldn't have left without speaking to you. It was selfish and a poor decision on my part, one I now deeply regret because it ended up hurting my friends. But the reason why I came back here was to show you my resolve. This time, I came to express my feelings before I leave. Dad, I want to walk my own path, so please let me go."

Lucy was inside his father's office, talking to him. Earlier, she had been furious when she learned that the reason why Jude had paid Phantom Lord to kidnap her was that he was setting her up with a powerful Duke named Sawarr Junelle for marriage. Again, it was always about money. Her father had only cared about his wealth and his position in the Heartfilia Konzern as president. But she was having none of it. There was nothing truly worse than having her life predetermined by someone else for his own selfish means.

Jude gave her daughter a fierce look as he leaned back against his chair. He couldn't believe that she would again dare to defy him like this. "I'm appalled that you still choose to give up the life that your mother and I have worked hard for so you could associate yourself with those ruffians," he said.

"Those are my _friends_," she told him, clenching her fists. "Please don't look down on them, Dad. They're _good_ people."

"You're a _proper_ lady," he argued, now drumming his fingers impatiently on his office desk. "A woman with your stature would stain the Heartfilia family's reputation if you continued to remain in that guild."

"I'm sorry, Dad, but that's the least of my concerns now. I have a new family, and that's Fairy Tail," she said hotly. "And if you try to lay a finger on my friends again, we'll all come back here to bring you down, Dad. So, this is _goodbye_!"

With that, Lucy stormed out of his office, feeling her own heart being ripped out from her chest. She should have known that she couldn't make her father understand. She tried. Spirits, did she try, but she was tired of it. Finding out that her father would still choose his reputation over her happiness only hurt her more than she could possibly imagine.

Jude could never understand her pain, how his indifference toward her since her mother's passing had tormented her for so many years. This was why she would never leave Fairy Tail. She would protect them the way they had protected her.

This was her resolve.

* * *

Laxus finally stepped into the business tycoon's office with clenched fists. Jude looked up from his desk and then nodded at his guest. The older man had met with the mage earlier prior to his daughter's arrival; they had agreed to form an alliance to ascertain that Lucy would leave Fairy Tail for good and return home to her father.

"So, what exactly do you intend to do with my daughter in your guild?" asked Jude. "I hope you're not going to hurt her or anything. Her future son would own the Heartfilia Konzern someday."

"I _hate_ your guts, old man," said the lightning mage. "The way you speak so lowly of us makes me want to destroy you. But no matter how _despicable_ you are as a father to your own daughter, I'm still here to accept your offer. I can assure you that Lucy would leave Fairy Tail."

The tycoon sneered at him. "And what would you know about having a father?"

"What did you say?" snarled Laxus as sparks of lighting started coming out of his body.

But Jude wasn't fazed. "Yes, yes. I met your father, Ivan, a long time ago. You are Laxus, his son, aren't you?"

Laxus stared at him, stunned. He had met his father?

"That's another reward that I'll give to you aside from money, you _insolent_ boy," the tycoon went on. "If you can guarantee that Lucy would leave Fairy Tail and return here unharmed, then I'll tell you where your father is."

When the mage didn't say anything, Jude finally looked back down to his desk and started shuffling some papers. "I'm glad to have made your acquaintance. You may leave my office."

Not knowing what else to do or say, Laxus left the office with a heavy heart but a hopeful one. If he could complete his job, he would again see his father. Ivan could finally see how much he had changed over the years. They could be family again.

But first, Lucy had to go.


	4. Laxus' Wrath

**Chapter Four: Laxus' Wrath**

"_Nani?!" _Natsu and Gray yelled in unison. They were eating dinner inside the Fairy Tail guildhall when Lucy arrived and told them everything about their pal, Loke. The celestial mage had to laugh at their flabbergasted expressions. They were just too cute.

Leo was currently in the celestial spirit world, and Lucy couldn't wait to get started with her training tomorrow. She might have had shed tears back in the Heartfilia Residence earlier in the day, but her unwavering drive to enhance her magic ability was more than enough to keep her in high spirits.

"_Ne_, Lucy. Does this mean that Loke won't be hangin' out with us anymore?" demanded Natsu, frowning, as he bit into his fried chicken.

"Well, he still can if he wants to," replied Lucy, absentmindedly poking her fork into her salad bowl. "I mean, he's different from the other Zodiac spirits."

"How's so?" he asked, taking another bite at his food.

"Supposedly, when a gate key holder dies, their celestial spirit goes back to their own world until a new owner finds their gate key. But in Loke's case, he's able to use his own magic to travel back and forth from his world to ours," she explained. "Being the leader of the Zodiac twelve probably gives him that kind of magic ability to do so at will."

"So, Loke's real name is _Leo_," mumbled Gray. He thought for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I think I'll stick to Loke."

"Yeah, I agree with ya," said the fire mage, nodding his head.

"Anyway," said Lucy elatedly. "I'm psyched to go on training with Leo—er—_Loke_ tomorrow, although I'm not sure yet what we're going to be doing exactly."

"Oh, I think I _know_," teased Happy, snickering on the table with his fish hanging from his mouth. _"Eroi!"_

"_Not_ what you think, you dumb cat," she snapped, rolling her eyes. "I really want to learn how to enhance my celestial magic. The stronger my magic ability is, the more powerful my celestial spirits become!"

Natsu grinned at her. "That's the spirit, Luce. But you're still taggin' along with us to work on a job tomorrow, though, right?"

The celestial mage stared at her nakama, looking hesitant. "But… how am I supposed to train if I'm on a mission fighting the bad guys?"

"Fightin' the bad guys _is_ training," he told her simply, helping himself into another piece of fried chicken on the table. "Just summon Loke in battle or somethin'."

She shook her head. "No. I was thinking of focusing on my magic energy and then expanding it somehow. At this rate, just summoning one Zodiac spirit already drains a lot of my magic," she explained, clasping her hands together. "I know this may sound ambitious, but I do want to summon all my Zodiac spirits at once someday in case I come across a really powerful opponent."

Without thinking, she turned her head to the direction of the second floor, where only the S-Class mages were allowed to access. Unsurprisingly, she found Laxus leaning against the balustrade with a bored expression on his face. Moments later, their eyes locked, and his expression shifted into something that Lucy couldn't fathom. Then, she saw him smirk at her.

"You mean Laxus?" asked Gray, observing her. "Are you thinking of fighting him?"

Lucy tore her eyes away from Laxus' and then looked at her nakama. "What? No, of course not," she said, chuckling nervously. "I'd be stupid to do that. It's just… Whenever I think of a really powerful opponent, his face appears in my head somehow."

Happy gasped. "Lushi, you _looove_ him!"

"What?!" she exclaimed, now flustered. "No, I _don't_. Enough of your incessant matchmaking already, you stupid cat!"

"Well, no one's stupid enough to go out with Lucy, that's for sure," said Natsu over a mouthful of chicken meat. "I'd only feel sorry for the poor guy."

"Oh, that's real funny, Natsu," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Gray regarded her thoughtfully. "I don't know," he said slowly, rubbing his chin. "I'd go out with Lucy if she'd go out with me."

The fire mage choked on his food. "You'd—you'd what?" he sputtered.

"Ugh, you three are incorrigible," said Lucy, rolling her eyes.

All of a sudden, the double doors of the guildhall opened. Distracted, the celestial mage turned her head to see who had arrived and then widened her eyes in shock when she saw them.

Gajeel and Juvia had just stepped into the guildhall.

* * *

Laxus was hanging out on the second floor with his sound pods clamped in his ears while watching his target over the balustrade. Much to his amusement, he noticed that her face quickly paled upon seeing Gajeel and Juvia's arrival.

Well, that was something. It only implied that the blonde chick didn't know that the Phantom Lord duo had joined Fairy Tail. Natsu probably hadn't told her about them because the boy suddenly looked guilty.

His amusement only heightened when he saw the fire mage move in front of Lucy protectively as Gajeel walked over to her. The iron mage was saying something to the both of them while Juvia tried to hide behind him. To his surprise, the celestial mage extended her hand at her former abductors and smiled.

_After they had beaten her senseless, she forgave them. Just like that_, he mused.

Then, he saw them all laughing together. Laxus caught himself remembering the times when he had been doing the same thing with his comrades many years ago. That was when his father had still been around.

He shook his head, trying to hinder his mind from treading on memory lane. His mission right now was to get rid of the celestial mage. Period. The only question was how. He wasn't allowed to harm her now, and that made him despise her even more.

When he visited the blonde chick's father earlier in the day, it had only been to see what kind of deal he would get in return for making Lucy leave the magic guild. But then, after learning that Jude knew about Ivan's whereabouts, Laxus was now more compelled to complete his job.

"Aren't you ever tired of looking at your comrades from up here, Laxus?" came Mirajane's soft voice from behind him. "You know, you're always welcome to join us downstairs."

Laxus spun around to face his fellow S-Class mage and then frowned at her. "Lay off, Mira."

She sighed and moved closer toward him. "What's happened to you? Don't you care about your guildmates?"

"I said, lay off," he snarled. He moved past her and headed toward his grandfather's office. He knocked on the door twice and then pushed open the door.

Laxus found Makarov sitting on his desk and arranging a pile of papers on the table. The elderly mage looked tired and worn out, judging from the dark bags under his eyes.

"_Jiji," _he said quietly, closing the door behind him.

"What is it, Laxus?" said Makarov, glancing up at him.

"How long are you going to keep your position as Guild Master?" he asked, deciding to go straight to the point. "Isn't it about time that you retire and, I don't know, become drinking buddies with Yajima-sama?"

The elderly mage glared at his grandson. "I will retire once Gildarts is home," he told him.

"Are you seriously considering Gildarts?" growled Laxus. "But that old man likes to travel a lot. How can you hand over your position to someone who's gone most of the time?"

"What do you suggest then?" spat Makarov. "Hand over my position to _you_? You who are so obsessed with being the most powerful that you never regarded your nakama as your own family!"

"That's not true!" he shouted, trembling with anger. "What do you know about how I feel, huh, _Jiji_?!"

"Is this about Ivan again? I already _told_ you that excommunicating your father was the best decision. I know you might hold a grudge against me for sending him away, but I was only watching over you like I always have! However, the way you treat your comrades is _unacceptable_. I _refuse_ you to let you be the master of this guild!"

Makarov had said it with such finality that Laxus stepped back in shock. So, his grandfather wasn't going to let him succeed him should he retire after all. Overwhelmed with rage, he stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

Gajeel was quite surprised when Lucy readily accepted his and Juvia's apology. He didn't know whether the blonde girl was just kind or utterly naïve. He had been willing to accept any form of retaliation from her or anyone in Fairy Tail, but he received none since he joined the guild.

In the meantime, Juvia was eyeing Gray shyly. The ice mage was the one who had defeated her during the battle between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail. After their fight, she had been able to lift the curse of being followed relentlessly by the rain. Of course, Gajeel had been against her feelings for Gray, saying that she should get to know the guy first before falling head over heels for him—or she would get brokenhearted again for the nth time.

"Oi, iron man," growled Natsu, slinging an arm around Gajeel's shoulders. "How about a rematch, eh?"

"Fine," said Gajeel, shrugging off the fire mage's arm. "But I won't lose to you this time."

"Oh, yeah? How about we meet under the Sola Tree in South Gate Park tomorrow morning at seven o'clock? Then, we'll see who the stronger dragon slayer really is."

The iron mage grinned. "It's a date."

Lucy and Gray laughed.

"Gray-_sama_," said Juvia, blushing furiously. "Juvia would like a rematch with Gray-sama, too—for old time's sake?"

The ice mage turned his attention to the blue-haired girl and raised his eyebrows. "You don't have to be so formal, Juvia," he told her kindly. "If you want a rematch, then let's have it tomorrow morning after Gajeel and flame-brain's fight."

The water mage stared at him in awe. _"Juvy!" _she squealed in delight, throwing her arms around Gray's neck. _At last, Juvia can finally confess her love to Gray-sama, _she thought happily.

"_Oi, oi_," Gray and Gajeel both said in surprise. The ice mage strived to wriggle himself out of Juvia's tight embrace while the iron mage held her by the shoulders and tried to pull her away.

_There she goes again, always falling for the wrong guy, _thought Gajeel as he managed to yank the crazy girl from her obvious next prey. _What's wrong with you, Juvia?_

"Juvia is sorry," said the water mage in a sad tone, bowing her head to Gray. "Juvia got carried away."

Natsu and Lucy wordlessly exchanged startled looks. Happy, on the other hand, kept yapping, _"Eroi. Eroi."_

"So, it's settled then," said Gray, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "We all meet under the Sola Tree in South Gate Park tomorrow morning for a battle rematch."

Suddenly, there was a loud thunderclap, and Laxus materialized at the center of the guildhall, streaks of lightning surrounding his massive body. He was looking at Team Natsu and the former Phantom Lord S-Class mages menacingly. "Why don't you all just fight me right now?" he sneered at them.

Everyone jumped and then stared at him.

"_Oi, oi._ Don't get cocky, Laxus," snarled Natsu, pointing his finger at him. "I can take you on by myself. What do you say?"

In response to the fire mage's taunt, Laxus pitched a lightning bolt at him, but Gajeel quickly moved in between them and then took the powerful blast; it immediately sent him flying across the table.

"No!" shouted Juvia, instinctively summoning her water magic, but she, too, got electrocuted by the lightning mage. She fell right beside Gajeel, her small body going into uncontrollable spasms.

"Gajeel! Juvia!" cried Lucy, running toward them. "Are you all right?" Then, she glared at Laxus.

Laxus glared back and then looked at everyone in the guild, growling. "I've had it with all of you, weaklings!" he seethed, clenching his fists.

* * *

Lucy couldn't believe what was happening; Laxus was going berserk. He had attacked practically everyone in the guild in one fast movement. Natsu and Gray were on the floor along with Gajeel and Juvia, wheezing in pain and breathing heavily. The rest of her guildmates backed away, their faces filled with panic.

_If only Erza-san was here! Maybe she'd be able to stop him_, she thought desperately. But she heard that the requip mage was out of town, taking on a job request along with the rest of the veteran members of Fairy Tail.

The celestial mage quickly pulled out one of her golden gate keys. "Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!" she shouted.

Leo appeared immediately. This time, he had a change of appearance. He now wore a dark suit with a red tie, and his spiky orange hair appeared longer than before, with animal ears sticking out from it.

For a moment, Laxus looked at him, surprised. But then he regained his composure and started attacking the celestial warrior. Loke was able to evade his lightning assault, and then he jumped back and placed himself in front of his mistress.

"What the hell is going on with you, Laxus?" demanded Leo, his hands engulfed in white orbs. "Why are you attacking your friends?"

But Laxus didn't answer him. Instead, he entered into a full berserker-like state, his eyes gleaming white, and a vast amount of lightning engulfed his entire body. Moments later, his muscle mass increased, ripping his shirt off and showing his tribal tattoo and Fairy Tail guild mark. His arms started to have scales, a reminiscent of a dragon's.

"I don't believe it," said Gajeel, his arm around Juvia, who was slowly trying to get up from the floor. "Laxus... Laxus is also a dragon slayer?!"

"I'm not yet done with you, Laxus!" shouted Natsu. He threw himself toward the lightning mage, his fist ablaze in flames._ "Karyu no_—_Tekken!"_ His dynamic fire punch collided with Laxus' jaw, and his lightning magic quickly dissipated on the impact. The taller mage crashed against the tables, breaking them.

"Laxus, that's _enough_!"

Makarov finally stood on the balustrade on the second floor, glaring at his grandson. "How _dare_ you attack your nakama so violently inside the guild, you insolent brat?!" he roared.

Laxus staggered to his feet, gasping for air. His eyes bore so much loathing. He could no longer think clearly.

"I'm going to end this," he told his grandfather, placing his palms close to each other and casting a bright orb in between them. Then, he closed his eyes to focus all his magic energy into the orb. _It's over. I'll recreate Fairy Tail and eliminate those who oppose me, including you, Jiji. I don't care anymore._

"Laxus, stop it!" cried Mirajane. "Don't use that spell!" She knew Laxus cared about his comrades—so why? Why would he do something that he knew might kill everyone? It wasn't supposed to be like this. Someone should stop him.

"Huh? "What—what is that spell?" stammered Lucy in alarm, staring at Mirajane and then at Laxus. But Natsu, Gray, and Loke already moved in front of her protectively.

"Stay back, Lucy," said the fire mage.

Laxus opened his eyes and stared at the celestial mage, his eyes blazing. Moments later, as if answering her question, he opened his mouth and uttered, _"Fairy Law."_

"Laxus, you fool!" Makarov was screaming, his own body expanding itself and turning into a hulk-like figure. He was about to reach out to his grandson when the bright orb between Laxus' hands burst into a glaring light, blinding everyone in the vicinity.

Lucy shielded her eyes with her arms from the beams of light streaking everywhere in the guildhall, her entire body trembling at the feel of such a powerful spell. She never knew that Laxus was capable of such magnificent magic.

_Spirits! What's going to happen to us?_


	5. In the Infirmary

**Chapter Five: In the Infirmary**

Laxus was breathing hard, on his knees, staring at everyone in the guildhall in bewilderment. He could have sworn that he had cast the Fairy Law spell perfectly, so he was startled when his guildmates were still on their feet, watching him and each other with mixed expressions on their faces.

"No," he whispered, slamming his fist on the floor. "How are you all still alive?"

His lightning magic was already at its limit after he had put everything into the Fairy Law spell. Even his dragon slayer magic had depleted. All that was left in him was his confusion on how his plan had failed him completely.

"You foolish brat." Makarov, in his gargantuan form, finally aimed a forceful blow at him with his enormous first. The impact immediately sent his body flying, but before he could even fall to the floor, Gajeel's iron rods had him pinned against a brick wall. Then, Gray stepped forward and fastened his arms and legs with adamantine-like ice.

Moments later, despite his head feeling dizzy from the assault, he saw Natsu and Loke jumping into the air, their faces determined, and directing their blazing fists in his direction.

It was the last thing that he remembered before everything went dark.

* * *

"Lucy-chan, do you still need to go outside the main hall? Otherwise, I'll be going there to lock the doors and switch off the lights."

Mirajane and Lucy had volunteered to stay in the guildhall's infirmary for the night to watch over the unconscious Laxus. The rest of their guildmates, including their guild master, had already gone to their respective homes to rest after they had received medical treatment.

Lucy sheepishly smiled at the other girl. "Well, I _am_ a bit hungry, Mira-san," she told her apologetically, scratching her head. "Is there still food left outside?"

The take-over mage smiled back. "No, not really," she said, chuckling. "But don't worry. I'll go to the kitchen and see what I can cook for you. Are you going to be all right here by yourself for a while?"

Shooting a glance at their knocked out patient, the celestial mage nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll be all right."

"Okay. I'll just be in the kitchen if you need anything. If you're cold, there are more blankets in the cabinet. And you know where the bathroom is." The older girl winked at her and then left the room.

Sighing, Lucy dragged a chair next to Laxus' bed and then sat on it. Seriously, she wanted nothing more than to be home in her apartment so she could soak in a hot bath and then sleep on her fluffy bed. But because she wanted to prove herself useful to the guild, she had to be here, watching over Makarov's grandson whom she despised.

For a moment, she studied his features, having nothing better to do. She realized that his hair was actually light blond, but then his thick eyelashes were dark. What a strange combination. He also had a long nose and soft-looking lips, which were parted slightly at the moment. If she didn't know better, she would say that he was a good-looking guy. He also kind of looked cute right now since he was asleep; it masked his overbearing personality.

Curious, her eyes skimmed over his god-like body, remembering those flesh-colored scales that had appeared in his arms, now wrapped in bandages, when he went on a rampage. Earlier, Gajeel had said that Laxus possessed the same magic ability as a dragon slayer. Did that mean that he was also trained by a dragon just like Natsu was? But according to what she had heard, he was raised by Makarov.

Laxus was indeed a mysterious guy. But he was a jerk. And a complete idiot.

"You're an idiot," she said out loud even though she knew that he couldn't hear her, judging by his current state. "You hear me? _Baka!_"

As if on cue, Laxus grunted and stirred in his bed, and Lucy found her breath caught in her chest. When he slowly opened his eyes, he looked at her directly with a puzzled expression on his face.

She cleared her throat in panic, wondering if he had heard her. Nervous as she was, she was unable to look away from those unnerving eyes. Maybe her curiosity got the better of her.

"Hey," she said cautiously, her voice shrill. "How are you feeling?"

"Why are you here?" he asked gruffly in his deep voice. He quickly scanned the familiar room that housed a few beds and light blue curtains. He realized that he was inside the guildhall's infirmary. When he looked down at himself, he saw bandages wrapped around his body.

_I see_, he thought, finding his situation almost funny. _So, I got knocked out._

"Mira-san and I volunteered to watch over you for the night since everyone had gone home," came Lucy's reply as she leaned back against her chair. "So, here I am."

"Ugh, what a pain," he grunted, closing his eyes. "I don't need anyone to babysit me. You can just go. Don't waste your time on me."

"You know," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "You can stop trying to act cool and learn to be grateful for once."

"Whatever," he muttered. "I don't really care."

The celestial mage scoffed. "Obviously, you cared about me—_us_—your _guildmates_, since your spell didn't work on any of _us_." She cleared her throat again, mentally kicking herself at the slight error of her words.

His eyes shot up, and then he glared at her. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. His head still hurt a little, so he couldn't think clearly. Who cared about whom?

"Mira-san just told me about Fairy Law. Sorry to disappoint you, but it can only be used against those whom the caster regarded as enemies," she explained, folding her arms over her chest. "But since none of us got hurt from it, then that means you never really considered us as such."

"Do you usually talk this much?" he asked lazily, massaging his head. "Jeez."

Lucy bit back a retort, willing herself not to get carried away by this arrogant prick. Instead of answering him, she pursed her lips. _Shut up, shut up, shut up. Don't pick a fight!_

Laxus was also silent for a moment, realizing that somehow there was a change in him; most of his pent-up anger was gone, and he felt much lighter inside. Did his Fairy Law spell do this to him? Was his only enemy all along—_himself_?

"By the way, Mira-san is in the kitchen fixing me something," said Lucy quietly, rising to her feet. "I'll go and tell her to prepare something for you, too." Yeah, finding Mirajane was a good excuse to get out of this stuffy room for a bit. She decided to use it.

She was about to walk over to the door when Laxus' hand shot up and seized hers. Startled, she faced him and gave him a questioning look. "What?"

But the lightning mage just lay there in silence, gazing into her eyes. She was fully aware of his callused thumb lightly brushing against the skin of her hand, and it somehow sent strange warmth throughout her body.

Finally, he spoke in a deep voice, "Do you hate me, Lucy?"

Lucy stared at him for a moment, hesitating. "Hate is such a strong word," she told him slowly. "I do know that I'm not crazy about you."

He chuckled. "Trust me. I'm not crazy about you either."

She rolled her eyes. "_Baka_. I already know that. But I'm willing to be friends if you won't hurt our comrades anymore. What you did was totally against what our guild stood for."

"Heh. I'll be out of this guild before you know it," he said with a faint smile on his face. The memory of what had transpired earlier flickered in his mind, and he felt a wave of shame wash over him. No, he didn't deserve her forgiveness or friendship.

"What are you saying?" she demanded, feeling awkward over the fact that her hand was still in his. His hold was warm and firm; it was like he was holding her like a friend. Somehow, it felt quite nice.

"I'm saying that _Jiji_ is going to excommunicate me after this," he replied simply. There was no doubt about that.

_But you're his grandson_, Lucy was about to say but caught herself in the nick of time. She remembered the Makarov had excommunicated his own son, Ivan, although the reason behind it remained a mystery.

"You do want me out of this guild, right?" he prompted, raising an eyebrow at her.

"No… I…" She frowned, feeling flustered. In truth, she couldn't deny the fact that Laxus had given her a hard time, making her feel like a useless crap. He had also hurt her friends. Even his imposing presence in the guild and arrogant demeanor annoyed her. But still, he was part of the Fairy Tail family.

"It doesn't matter what I think," she finally told him firmly. "You're _not_ going to get excommunicated." She realized that she didn't mind him being around after all. But she wasn't going to let him know that.

Then, before she knew what was happening, the lightning mage tugged her toward him. She yelped in surprise when her body fell on top of him like a weightless pillow. Their faces were now inches apart, and Lucy found herself staring into his astounding gray eyes. _"N-Nani?"_

"Listen," he said softly, his hand clamped on her shoulder. "I have something to tell you."

Lucy swallowed hard. "Do you really have to pull me this up close to tell me something?" she asked anxiously.

He turned his head to the side to look away, a blush creeping up his neck and face. "I-I had only meant to pull you a little closer," he admitted, realizing that she was indeed closer to him than he had wanted her to be. "I never thought you'd go flying on top of me. What an utterly weak person you are."

"Would you stop looking down on people already?" Lucy snapped, huffing impatiently. Then, she furiously pushed herself off him and straightened up, ignoring the nervous thumping of her heart inside her chest. "Telling people how weak they are is really not the way to establish a friendship bond," she added.

"But I'm not trying to be friends with you," he said quietly, running a hand through his hair.

She blinked. "You're… you're not?" she stuttered. She realized that she sounded disappointed, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to be friends with everyone in the guild.

Sighing, Laxus decided to tell her the truth. "Lucy, listen to me," he said, turning his attention back to her. "It's about your dad." There was no turning back now.

She froze. "What?" she whispered, even though she heard him. "What about my dad?"

"I met with him in your family mansion this morning," he began, watching her stunned expression. "He offered me something in exchange for making you leave the guild."

She stared down at him in utter disbelief. "You… You _met_ with my dad this morning?" A flashback of Jude and her having a heated exchange earlier in the day crossed her mind, and it reminded her of the pain that she had felt during that reunion.

"I did."

"And?"

"I willingly accepted his offer."

Lucy inhaled sharply. "I see. And now?" she prompted, feeling a lump rising in her throat. She found herself afraid of his answer.

"I still intend to carry out the quest whether or not I'd get excommunicated," he finished in a murmur.

There was a disturbing silence between them. Both mages just stared at each other for a moment, trapped in their own thoughts.

"Do you hate me now?" he finally asked, even though he already knew what her answer was going to be.

Her eyes glistening with tears, she glared at him. "Yes," she hissed. "Yes, I _hate_ you."

Laxus nodded at her, feeling sad yet relieved that he had told her the truth. He didn't want her to think that there could ever be a possible friendship between them because of the job that he needed to do so that he could reach his goal. He had to see his father.

It was for the best, he decided, maintaining this hate bond with her. In truth, he no longer held anything against her. She might not be much of a fighter, but her inner strength was much stronger than his. He realized that now.

He smiled to himself. Lucy was just this blonde chick who really cared about Fairy Tail and her friends.

"You," she said in a loathing tone, taking a few steps back. "You're just as selfish as my dad!" With that, she spun on her heel and ran out of the infirmary room, moving past Mirajane, who just arrived in the doorway, carrying a tray of food.

Sighing, Laxus stared at the ceiling, bracing himself to a tirade that was about to come. Mirajane walked over to his bed and then placed the tray that she had been carrying on the side table. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him.

"That was really smooth, Laxus," she said in a clipped tone, looking furious. "How could you make Lucy cry like that? She's a nice person."

"It's not like I didn't know that already," he retorted. "And I didn't mean for her to go boohooing like that either."

"Well, you should apologize to her when she gets back here," she told him. "Do you understand?"

"I thought she already left," he remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Mirajane shrugged her shoulders. "She's probably just somewhere in the guildhall, wishing for you to die already. We're under Master's orders to watch over you for the night."

"That… sounded so wrong, but okay." He didn't dare to picture himself being watched by two lovely girls and them crying over his wounded body. That would be absurd, yet a little appealing. Seriously, there was no saving a guy like him.

"Anyway," said the take-over mage, snapping him out of his musings. "Care to tell me how you obtained a dragon slayer's magic ability like Natsu's? I know that Master certainly didn't have any pet dragons."

Laxus nodded, realizing that this other S-Class mage already had him back into a corner. "Yeah, I'll tell you," he said in a subdued tone. "You better sit down first."


	6. The Hard Truth

**Chapter Six: The Hard Truth**

Lucy was taking a shower at the guildhall's shower room and hoping that the hot water would calm her down. She couldn't believe that Laxus and her father allied themselves to ascertain that she would leave the guild. Didn't they realize that Fairy Tail was her family now? How could they not accept that?

Furthermore, how could Laxus still think about carrying out his plan to get rid of her even after they finally got to talk? And what was it with him holding her hand and looking at her with such warmth if he didn't want to be friends with her?

"Damn you," she muttered in clenched teeth. "You made me think that we could actually ever be…" she trailed off, heaving a sigh. "Whatever."

She knew that she had told Laxus that she hated him, but, in truth, she wasn't convinced herself. She felt hurt and betrayed, of course, but she really didn't want to harbor any hate in her heart. But, no matter what, she wasn't going to let that lightning dolt win in his quest to make her give up Fairy Tail.

When Lucy was finally done with her shower, she dried herself with a clean towel and put on a pair of jammies that Mirajane had thoughtfully placed on the shower room counter with a label that said, "Lucy." Then, she walked back to the direction of the infirmary while combing her hair with her fingers. Before she could reach out to the door, Mirajane opened it, looking surprised.

"Oh, hey, Lucy," greeted the take-over mage. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mira-san," she replied, forcing a smile. "Thanks for leaving these clothes in the shower room for me." She gestured at her pink jammies with red polka-hearts.

"It's no problem. I hope you don't mind me freshening up a bit, too."

"No, not at all. Take your time."

"Thanks."

Lucy saw Laxus eyeing her guardedly when she entered the room. She fixed him a glare and then muttered, "I still can't believe you'd stoop so low as to trade a comrade for money."

"I guess I'm just that kind of guy," he told her simply.

"So, how much was I worth?" she asked testily, walking over to him. The thought of her father paying someone again to get his way with her made her want to scream.

"A lot, if you ask me," he replied without hesitation. "For starters, your dad could pay off all of Fairy Tail's debts and their interest. I mean your team did wreck a whole lot of properties in different towns."

Lucy stopped at his bedside, biting her lip. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Well, that was true. Makarov had run into so much trouble dealing with letters from the mayors of different towns, not to mention the Magic Council, because of Natsu and his team.

"Then," he went on, "it wouldn't also hurt for Fairy Tail to have reserved funds in case the guildhall gets destroyed again."

She had no words to say to that either. Spirits, he was good at reminding her of her sin. How pathetic and useless she was in the guild.

Seeing that she didn't have any rebuttals, he finally smirked. "So, tell me, little missy. Why wouldn't I trade a weakling like you for an offer that could actually help the entire guild?"

"Enough," she whispered, looking down at the floor. She could feel a lump in her throat. Laxus might be right. Fairy Tail might be better off without her. When it the guild's best interest, she knew she shouldn't be selfish, but—where else could she go?

In truth, Laxus felt ashamed of himself for the things that he had told the celestial mage, but he had to do it even if it was selfish. Making her feel guilty was a way to break her resolve, a necessary step to completing his job. But he had to be careful—he knew that she was also stubborn.

"I see that you've already eaten your share," she said abruptly, changing the subject. She nodded the tray of food on the side table; Mirajane earlier had brought two bowls of porridge, and one of them was now empty.

"Yeah, I wanted more, but Mira wouldn't let me eat your share," he told her, closing his eyes. He didn't really have the appetite earlier, but Mirajane had been annoyingly insistent that he would eat so he could regain his strength.

She frowned. "So, you would've eaten my share if you could," she snapped, grabbing the bowl and a spoon from the tray. "You really are a jerk." With that, she turned around and started eating hungrily.

* * *

As Mirajane showered in the guildhall's shower room, she thought about what Laxus had told her. So, Ivan had placed a dragon lacrima inside his son's body. That was why Laxus could perform lightning dragon slayer magic.

It was unthinkable, she thought. Placing a lacrima inside a person's body was not only painful but dangerous. Laxus could have died back then since he had been a sickly kid. Was that the reason why Makarov had decided to excommunicate Ivan—because he had put Laxus' life at risk?

But if Ivan's sole intention for using the lacrima had been to save Laxus from succumbing to his sickness, Makarov would have pardoned him—unless Laxus' father had other means to do what he had done.

Mirajane shook her head. No, even though he had always been cold toward Laxus, he would never have any reason to place a lacrima inside his son's body other than to save his life.

Right?

At that moment, the take-over mage suddenly didn't feel certain.

* * *

Laxus listened to the sound of Lucy's soft snores as she slept on her chair next to his bed with her head bowed and arms folded on her chest. Earlier, while she was eating her porridge, he had pretended to be asleep to avoid any more conversations with her.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," he whispered, looking at her small frame. She really looked so soft and delicate, but her appearance was a contrast to her personality. He found himself suddenly admiring her. _What am I thinking?_

Lucy began mumbling in her sleep, and the lightning mage couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. But then his smile quickly vanished when he saw tears rolling out from her eyes to her cheeks.

"Dad, no," she choked, her shoulders shaking. Then, her arms fell limp at her sides.

He stared at her, his heart pounding hard in his chest. What was she dreaming about? She looked like she was in some sort of pain.

"Dad, please, don't do this," she continued to sob.

Unable to stop himself, Laxus pushed the covers off his body and then dropped his feet to the floor so he could face her directly. Then, he reached out and pulled Lucy against him, hugging her tightly.

The celestial mage suddenly awoke from a terrible dream of her father locking her up in her room and telling her that she would never again see Fairy Tail. But somehow, she felt warm, and another voice was speaking to her soothingly.

"It's going to be all right," the deep voice said. The person was stroking the back of her head as if comforting her. "It's just a dream. It's just a dream."

Her mind still hazy, she looked up, and then she saw Laxus' handsome face near hers. She realized that he was holding her in his arms with a worried expression that she inhaled sharply in surprise.

Laxus was just as startled when he locked eyes with Lucy, her eyes still wet from crying. Realizing what he had done, he placed his hands on her shoulders and distanced her from him rather forcibly.

"You… were having a nightmare," he hastily explained, looking away from her. He wanted to ask her what she had been dreaming about but then decided against it.

Lucy wiped her tears with her hands, still overwhelmed by her emotions from her dream. "Yeah. Yeah, I was," she sniffled. "You can let go of me now."

He immediately dropped his hands to his lap and slowly turned to look at her again. "You should get some sleep over there," he said, nodding at the next bed.

She studied him for a moment and then cleared her throat. "No. My job is to watch over to you," she finally said. She sat on her chair and folded her arms on her chest, giving him a determined look. "This time, I'm _not_ going to fall asleep."

Laxus shrugged. "Suit yourself," he told her, grabbing his covers and yanking them over his body. Then, he forced himself to close his eyes, thinking about how stupid he was for hugging her like that. He should be more careful with his actions, especially around her.

Moments later, he heard her snoring again, and he smiled to himself.

_Baka._

* * *

Natsu woke up early and decided to head over to the guildhall with Happy to see Lucy. Last night, he had been against her volunteering to watch over the lighting blockhead in the infirmary, even if Mirajane was there as well.

But he had also understood how his nakama felt determined to help out Makarov since Phantom Lord. The poor old fellow had almost had a heart attack after discovering how his grandson had used Fairy Law to annihilate everyone. Thankfully, the powerful magic spell had only revealed Laxus' real feelings toward his comrades.

"Lucy!" he yelled as he pushed open the double doors of the guildhall. There were already a few of his guildmates sitting on the tables. "Lucy?"

"He's over there, Natsu," said Happy, pointing at the bar.

Natsu found his blonde nakama sitting at the bar and talking to Mirajane. They seemed to be in a gloomy mood. He was about to head over there to ask what he had missed when someone suddenly slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Morning, Natsu," greeted Cana. Then, she frowned. "I heard what happened here."

"Yeah?" said Natsu, looking around the guildhall. "Where's that lightning moron?" Laxus was probably fine by now. He should challenge him to another fight—this time without the help of his other comrades.

"He's in the infirmary talking to Master Makarov," the card mage told him. "I wouldn't disturb them if I were you. It looks like they're having a serious grandfather and grandson talk right now." Then, she removed her arm and raised a mug of ale at the fire mage's face before she took a draught.

_I wonder what they're talking about, _he thought after nodding his head at Cana. _Maybe I should eavesdrop a bit._

Focusing on his dragon slayer senses, he started hearing Makarov's voice and Laxus'.

"What are you waiting for, _Jiji_?" came Laxus' taunt. "Aren't you going to excommunicate me?"

"I know that's what you're expecting, Laxus," was Makarov's reply. "As much as I'm infuriated by your insolence, I did play a part in your anger." There was a pause. "I thought you're better off not knowing the reason behind Ivan's excommunication. But I understand now that it's a mistake."

"All I ever wanted were answers, _Jiji_."

"Yes, yes, I know. So, listen to me carefully and brace yourself, because the truth that I'm about to tell you might not be something that you can bare. But you leave me no choice."

Natsu frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. _So, what's this secret that Makarov had been hiding? _He couldn't wait for the guild master to spill the beans, but then—

"Natsu, if you're listening to this conversation, then you're out of this guild," roared Makarov. "Do you hear me?!"

"Yikes," he yelped, wondering how Makarov could possibly know that he was eavesdropping. Not that it mattered now.

"Natsu, Happy," called Lucy, waving her hand and smiling.

Ah, there was that smile that Lucy would always wear. Forget Makarov's damn secret—Lucy was smiling at him. He strode over to her.

"Yo, Lucy!"

* * *

The truth was out. Tears were running down Laxus' face as he listened to his grandfather reveal to him what had happened years ago.

So, Ivan had implanted a dragon lacrima into his body with the hopes of harnessing his magic energy into the lacrima and then selling the magic crystalline to the highest bidder. It had never been about his fatherly love for him. It had been a means to elicit money from filthy rich businessmen.

"How… how could you have kept this from me?" he demanded. In his fury, he kicked one of the infirmary beds, and it flew against the wall, smashing it. Then turned and glared at his grandfather.

"I didn't want you to hate your father!" replied Makarov, clenching his fists.

Laxus pointed a shaking finger at his grandfather. "You had no right, _Jiji_!"

"I did what I thought was best," the elderly mage insisted. "Never mind that you'd hate me. I was hoping that Ivan would change someday, but I recently learned from Gajeel and Juvia that he had formed a dark guild on his own."

That stopped the lightning mage. "Gajeel and Juvia? Those _two_?"

The other Dreyar nodded. "Yes, they're under my orders to search for Ivan, and they've already found him. According to them, Ivan and his guild have been stealing magic lacrima crystals in different towns and then selling them."

Laxus stared at his grandfather in disbelief, his chest heaving. _No. How could my own father do this?_

"Listen to me, Laxus," said Makarov sharply. "I'm going to report this to the Magic Council to have them put a stop to your father's madness."

All those years of hard training with the hopes of making his father proud one day flashed before Laxus' eyes, those dark moments when he would lash his anger out on his comrades because he hated his grandfather. He had thought that although his father was aloof, he was a decent and respectable man.

"Just tell me where he is, and I'll deal with him," he seethed. There was no way in hell that he would allow his father to get away from all of his crimes.

"No. It wouldn't end well for you. Not in your current state." Makarov was referring to his grandson's unstable emotions. He knew it was a big blow to the boy after learning what his father had done. He didn't know if he did the right thing of telling Laxus the truth, but there was no turning back now.

"Tell me where he is, _Jiji_," snarled Laxus. "You owe me that damn much." He would have all the time in the world to feel guilty and ashamed later. But right now, if his father was doing something illegal, then he had the responsibility as a member of Fairy Tail to put a stop to it.

Makarov sighed. "Fine," he told him, crossing his arms over his chest. "But you're going to have to form a team first before facing your father. I hear that the mages in his guild are skilled and should not be taken lightly. Do we have an understanding?"

The lightning mage grinned at him in spite of himself. "That's going to be the first after many years, _Jiji_."

* * *

**A/N: I wonder if this revelation changes everything in Laxus. I guess there's no reason for him to torment Lucy to leave the guild now, right? Or will he find another reason? Until the next chapter.** **Sorry**** if it's kinda slow, but I really want to take my time. :)**


	7. Into the Fog

**Chapter Seven: Into the Fog**

Lucy was stunned when Makarov summoned her, Natsu, and Laxus in his office and then told them that they were going to form a team to subdue a dark guild called the Raven Tail. But when he revealed to them who its guild master was, she appeared to be the _only_ one in the room who looked shocked and baffled about the news.

"He may be my son and a former Fairy Tail member," Makarov was saying, "but he needs to be stopped as soon as possible."

_Hold on. __He's talking about fighting Laxus' father for crying out loud_, she thought, stealing a glance at the lightning mage, who looked unfazed. He was already in his regular clothes, and a black coat with fur-trimming hung from his shoulders. _How is this okay with him?_

Then, she shook her head. She shouldn't concern herself with Laxus' feelings. After all, he wanted her out of the guild, right? But then again, she couldn't help herself. She wouldn't be Lucy if she didn't care about her guildmates.

"I know Erza still hasn't returned from her mission, and I don't know where Gray is," the elderly mage went on, scratching his head. "But, unfortunately, this matter can't wait."

"Oh, Gray's probably somewhere in South Gate Park with Juvia," said Natsu thoughtfully, shrugging his shoulders. "They're supposed to have a rematch, remember?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. "If I recall correctly, Natsu, you're _supposed_ to be there, too. You asked Gajeel for a rematch yesterday, _remember_?"

The fire mage looked at her curiously. "_Honto_? I don't remember," he said. "Are you sure you're not making things up, Lucy?"

The celestial mage rolled her eyes.

"You always forget things, Natsu," sighed Happy.

Laxus was growing impatient, but he kept his cool. Of all people, he had to work with Natsu and Lucy to face his father. If only the Thunder Legion was here, he was sure that they would complete the job in no time. They were the perfect team.

According to his grandfather, Ivan and his guild were hiding in the woods West of Magnolia Town. Since his father was a master of illusion magic, a forest was the perfect place to cast an illusion spell to confuse anyone who would come after him. Even the most powerful of mages would probably meet their demise before they could reach Raven Tail's hideout.

"_Ne_, Laxus, I really wanna pound your dad for bein' a _jerk_ to you, ya know," said Natsu earnestly, hitting the palm of his hand on his other fist. "No offense."

"None taken," replied Laxus, raising his eyebrows at him in surprise. He should be annoyed that the boy had eavesdropped on his conversation with Makarov back in the infirmary, but he wasn't.

On the contrary, he was moved by the fire mage's resolve to avenge him despite how he had treated his comrades and for using Fairy Law against them.

"You still owe me an explanation why you're a dragon slayer, too, though," said the pink-haired boy, pointing a finger at him.

He snorted. "Ah? I don't owe you anything, kid."

Lucy was now watching the two dragon slayers in confusion. _Natsu and Laxus don't appear to be bothered by any of this at all_, she thought. _I guess I shouldn't be either._

She cleared her throat. "So, uh, should we go and get Gray?" she asked cautiously. "And maybe Gajeel and Juvia, too? I mean, we're talking about fighting an entire dark guild here."

"Yes, Lucy," said Makarov, nodding his head. "I trust that the six of you can handle them."

"Oh, yeah, I'm all fired up!" yelled Natsu, in which Happy chimed, "Aye, Sir!"

* * *

Gray and Juvia were battling each other underneath the large Sola Tree in the center of South Gate Park to test their strengths. Gajeel, on the other hand, was sitting on one of the branches and letting his legs dangle casually above them.

"Not bad, Juvia," remarked the ice mage, breathing heavily. "I'm almost at my limit, though."

Unlike in their previous fight, Juvia seemed to have become a lot stronger. _She kind of looks hot, too_, he thought. _But I don't think she's my type._

"What—what does Gray-sama mean?" asked the water mage, who was just as out of breath as her opponent. _Is Gray-sama finally at his limit in hiding his feelings for Juvia?!_

Gajeel grunted, watching his comrades with disdain. "He means that his magic is almost drained," he told the blue-haired girl in a growl.

He could practically read her mind. Working together during their time with Phantom Lord had taught him that the water mage would easily fall for any pretty boy who would compliment her.

_Right now, she's probably fantasizing about this ice idiot, hoping that he would return her feelings_, he thought, feeling annoyed.

"Oh, is that so?" mumbled Juvia, looking disappointed. Why did Gajeel always have to interrupt whenever she and Gray talked? It was as if the iron mage was not happy about her finding her true love.

All of a sudden, the iron mage wrinkled his nose as if getting a whiff of a familiar scent. Then, he stared up ahead and saw three figures walking toward their direction.

"Oi, it's Salamander," he said, jumping off the branch and landing on the ground. "I thought he chickened out."

"_Ne_, how are you guys doing?" Lucy called out, waving a hand at them.

Gray, Juvia, and Gajeel were about to greet her back when they saw Laxus approaching. They immediately switched into a defensive stance as if he was going to attack them anytime.

"Yo," said Natsu cheerfully. "We got a job to do today. We're gonna look for Raven Tail."

Gajeel and Juvia exchanged glances, looking surprised.

"How did you know about Raven Tail, Natsu-san?" asked the water mage suspiciously.

The fire mage then pressed a thumb on his chest. "Gramps told us about them and made us come here to fetch you guys," he replied.

The iron mage grinned widely, baring his fangs. "About time he asks us to subdue those criminals." Then, he glared at Laxus. "You're coming, too, I see."

The lightning mage glared back at him. "Just be sure to not get in my way," he growled_._

"Oh, no. This isn't going to be good," commented Happy, worriedly looking from Laxus to Gajeel.

"Wait, can someone _please_ tell me who or what Raven Tail is?" said Gray, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's a dark guild, Gray," told the blue feline in a serious tone. "And you won't believe this, but their guild master is Ivan Dreyar."

"Wait, what?" uttered the ice mage, and his expression darkened.

"We'll tell you all about it on the way," said Lucy hastily. "We have to move. In the mean time—ugh, would you please put some clothes on?!"

* * *

"Huh. It's weird," said Gajeel, sniffing the air. "It's like their scent is everywhere, but I can't point out exactly where they're hiding this time."

"I can sense strange magic in here, though," muttered Natsu, falling into step beside the iron mage with Happy.

Laxus frowned. Apparently, even their dragon slayer senses were useless in this situation. They had been walking in the woods for a few hours, and they still couldn't figure out where Raven Tail was hiding.

"There seems to be a fog in here," remarked Happy.

"Yeah," said Gajeel. "And it's getting thicker by the second." He found Juvia's hand and then tugged her close to him. "Stay close, Juvia. Better watch your step, too, you hear?"

"Yes, Gajeel-san," said Juvia, glancing up at him. _I wish Gray-sama was holding my hand instead of Gajeel-san_, she thought gloomily.

"_Ne_, Juvia. Can't you do something about this fog? Aren't they made up of water or something?" asked Gray.

"I'm sorry, Gray-sama," replied the water mage, shaking her head. "But I don't think this fog is normal at all."

As if on cue, all the trees in the woods quickly disappeared. Even the ground was no longer visible. The white fog appeared to have almost swallowed everything.

"Okay, there's just too much fog here, you guys," said Lucy, narrowing her eyes. "Ugh, I can't see anything—ouch—sorry Gray." She had bumped into someone's back and almost reeled backwards because of the hardness of it.

"Nah-uh, that wasn't me, Lucy," told Gray, looking around. "_Ne_, where are you guys?"

Lucy suddenly felt a large hand grabbed hers, and she found herself being pulled toward someone's side. Then, she heard Laxus' voice. "Stay close and don't fall behind," he said firmly.

"Y-yeah, okay," she stammered, sensing a familiar tingle in her body. It was the lightning mage whom she had bumped into, she realized.

"This is just an illusion spell," he muttered in clenched teeth. "This means that _he's_ close."

"I-I suppose," she said agreeably.

Lucy swallowed hard, consciously aware of his hand still holding hers as they continued to walk in spite of the fog. His hold was wonderfully warm, just like when he had grabbed her hand in the infirmary last night…

_Spirits, why am I even remembering that right now? This is stupid_.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Listen up, guys. We're obviously trapped in Ivan's illusion spell. Like Juvia said earlier, this fog isn't natural. It probably doesn't exist at all. But we have to think of something that can break us all out from this illusion."

"Should I try and burn down the forest?" suggested Natsu. "I'd gladly do that, ya know."

"No, flame-brain," groaned Gray. "You might end up turning us all into ashes."

"J-Juvia won't let that happen to you, Gray-sama," said Juvia shyly. "J-Juvia can put out the fire with water."

The fire mage let out a huff. "Oh, well. I guess we're just gonna have to keep on wanderin' around."

"Gray is right, Natsu," she replied, sighing. "Let's just… try and think of something else."

Lucy tried to think hard, but somehow, Laxus' warm hand on hers kept on distracting her. She wondered if she should just yank her hand away from his.

She knew she would be safer hanging on to someone in this crazy situation—but, still, it felt awkward. Furthermore, she didn't want herself latched on to Laxus, a man who would willingly trade her for money, she thought bitterly.

No matter how hard she tried to understand his reasons for wanting to exchange her for something that would help the Fairy Tail guild, she still couldn't help but feel betrayed by it.

Thank the spirits that the thick fog did a marvelous job in hiding their clasped hands. She definitely didn't want her friends to see it.

Lucy tried to pretend that she was clutching someone else's hand—but it didn't help. The one that was holding on to hers right now was ridiculously large, powerful, and warm.

Yeah, this was Laxus' hand, alright.

* * *

Laxus debated with himself whether or not he should let go of Lucy's hand. In truth, he would feel much better if she would let him continue to hold on to her hand like this. That way, he could easily protect her in case something would happen.

Gajeel was obviously looking after the water mage, he thought, and he could sense Natsu and Gray walking together in front of them and leading the way.

So, this left him to look after _her_.

Seriously, this blonde chick's hand felt so soft and delicate as if he could crush it effortlessly if he chose to do so. But of course, he wouldn't do that. He couldn't. In fact, he wanted to keep it safe. He wanted to keep _her_ safe—just like when he had held her last night when she was having a nightmare.

He didn't know why, but he still couldn't tell her that his deal with her father was already out of the picture and that he was sorry that he ever made an alliance with that business tycoon. What a fool he had been.

On top of that, he also couldn't tell her about his growing feelings for her…

Laxus frowned at himself. Growing feelings? Of course, he didn't have any growing feelings for Lucy Heartfilia. He just probably felt guilty because of how he and her father had treated her.

He shook his head hard. No, he merely wanted to make sure that nothing terrible would happen to her. He would protect her as his way of atoning for the pain he had caused her. That was _all_.

Sighing, he unconsciously dropped Lucy's hand and then draped an arm protectively around her shoulders, pulling her even closer to him. He felt her stiffen, and that was when he realized what he had done. _Kuso_, he mentally cursed.

Meanwhile, Lucy thought she would go insane. The other side of her body was now practically glued to Laxus as they continued to walk. It made her stomach flutter, and she could feel the heat rising to her face.

She wasn't used to being this close to a man before. And this wasn't just any other man—this was Laxus, a comrade whom she shared a hate bond with or something of that sort.

She should do something.

"N-Natsu!" she managed to squeak without thinking. She couldn't see her nakama, but she was sure he was nearby. Immediately, she felt Laxus' arm remove itself from her shoulders. For some weird reason, she felt disappointed.

"Yeah? What is it, Luce? Is everythin' okay?" came Natsu's voice from up ahead.

She was about to speak when she felt Laxus drag her forward. Then, she felt herself being thrown into her nakama's arms. Yeah, even though she couldn't see him, she recognized Natsu by his usual musky scent mixed with burnt wood.

"_Yaro_!" he snarled. "Don't just throw Lucy around like that."

"She's _your_ problem now," said Laxus coldly.

"What's gotten into you? You wanna fight?" growled the fire mage.

"Did someone say fight?" said Gajeel.

"Look," said Lucy imploringly, hoping to diffuse the situation. "We're all tired from walking for hours. Why don't we start making a camp and rest for a while?"

"Aye! I think that's a great idea," said Happy.

* * *

"What do you think, Master? Should we strike them now that they're tired and huddled together?"

Ivan grinned at Flare, who had spoken so sweetly to him. "Yes, my dear," he told her, cupping her chin with his fingers. "I think I'm done toying with them. Let's now send them off to their graves."

The redhead beamed. Then, she gazed at her master with a concerned expression. "But what about your son?" she asked.

In a flash, the guild master's rugged face hardened, and he slapped the young girl across the face. "He is no son of mine," he snarled.

Flare fell to the ground, breathing hard. "_Gomen ne_, Master," she whimpered, tears streaming down her face.

"Just say the word, Master, and we'll crush these Fairy Tail insects to bits," said Nullpudding, rubbing his purple hands together and grinning broadly.

"Yes, Nullpudding," said Ivan, smoothing his black beard with his fingers. "Feel free to start with Laxus since he has something that I want."

It had been years since he had seen the boy whose looks didn't resemble him but his late wife. Yes, he still blamed the blond pest for the death of his beloved. It was only appropriate that he would die today as he shouldn't have been born in the first place.

He had heard whispers that the boy had grown remarkably powerful and become one of Fairy Tail's strongest.

That could only mean one thing: the dragon lacrima that he had implanted inside Laxus' body years ago presumably contained so much power now because of the boy's magic. It would probably earn him hundreds of millions of jewels if he sold it off to some rich fool.

Yes, Laxus would definitely make him rich.


	8. Ambushed

**Chapter Eight: Ambushed**

The surprise attack appeared to have come from nowhere. Without warning, Lucy felt something bind her wrists and ankles tightly, and then she found herself being hoisted forcefully into the air. She tried to scream, but something was choking her neck that prevented her from making a sound.

The fog slowly vanished, revealing the natural habitat of the woods. Lucy could now see her guildmates, but to her horror, they were dangling in the air along with her. Their bodies were all bound with crimson ropes, although they looked more like—hair?

When she looked down, she saw four people staring up at their captives in fascination. One of them was a wide-eyed girl whose red hair was magically extended everywhere. She realized that it was the redhead who was manipulating her long mane to bind Lucy and her comrades.

There was also a skinny dark-haired boy with snake-like eyes accompanied by two grown men: one was short and stocky with blond hair and purple skin and the other was tall and muscular with black hair and beard.

There was no doubt about it—these mages were members of Raven Tail.

"_Ne_, I like this blondie," hissed the redhead, looking beseechingly at the tall man with beard. "Can I keep her, Master?"

"Shut it, Flare," came the man's reply.

_She called the tall one Master, _thought Lucy. _Then, he must be Ivan. _But Laxus bore no resemblance whatsoever to the malevolent-looking man below, who was grinning at them viciously.

Meanwhile, Laxus was seething at the sight of his father. Not too long ago, he had been hoping that their reunion would be a happy one. But right now, the man was hurting his Fairy Tail comrades like they were nothing to him. Like _he _was nothing to him.

He might have been caught off guard by the red-haired mage's assault at first, but he wasn't having any of this. Summoning his lightning magic, he effortlessly broke away from the bindings and landed on the ground with ease. Moments later, Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, and Juvia followed.

"Lucy, Happy! Hang in there coz I'm comin' for ya!" yelled Natsu. Then, he jumped into the air with his fist engulfed in flames. But just when he was about to burn the redhead's extended hair into ashes to free his friends, his fire was suddenly put out in a jiffy. "_Nani_—?!"

A wave of crimson hair whipped him back, sending him crashing against a tree. Then, he fell to the ground, breathing heavily, his expression confused.

"Hmm, I really don't like cats," drawled Flare. Then, she let her hair fling Happy aside, but Natsu jumped again and caught him in his arms.

The blue feline was sputtering and gasping for air. "Thanks, Natsu," he cried.

"You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah, but you gotta save Lushi!"

Gray angrily stepped forward, pulling back his arm and placing his fist on his palm. "Let Lucy go, you freak!" he shouted. Then, he started to cast an ice-make spell, but then his magic vanished the same way as Natsu's. "What in the world—?'

Laxus, Gajeel, and Juvia started hurling magic spells toward Lucy's captor, but even their power elements dissipated into thin air before they could reach the target, leaving the mages bewildered.

Ivan laughed maniacally. "It's a magic canceling spell," he said. "You dimwits are no match for us if you can't use your magic!"

The lightning mage glared at him, but then he suddenly noticed a small brown creature with a pointed tail crouching on his old man's shoulder, smiling a devious smile. So, that pesky little thing was the one that kept on canceling their magic spells.

Without wasting time, he dashed toward Ivan in lightning speed to grab hold of the creature when the short, purple-skinned mage suddenly expanded one of his arms, covering Ivan with its now overgrown size and puncturing the lightning mage with spikes that protruded from it.

Blood spurted from Laxus' mouth when one of the larger spikes stabbed him in his abdomen, catching him by surprise. Shortly, the red-haired mage snaked her hair around his body, incarcerating him once more and lifting him into the air. He grunted in pain as he felt the large spike leave his body.

"_Kuso_," he cursed under his breath, trying to free himself from the bindings, but resisting only strained his wound even further. He willed his lightning to strike her down, but it kept on canceling on him.

"Yes, Obra," Ivan urged at the small creature on his shoulder. "Keep on canceling his magic. Just focus on _him_."

"Laxus!" shouted Natsu, looking up at the other dragon slayer.

"What the hell are you all standing there for?" bellowed Laxus. "Go and get Lucy!"

But their path was suddenly blocked by two of Raven Tail's members before they could even sprint to save the celestial mage.

"I'm Kurohebi," hissed the dark-haired mage, his snake-like eyes gleaming maliciously. He wore a tight black garment that ended on his hands like a pair of fingerless gauntlets.

"And I'm Nullpudding," said the purple-skinned mage, whose enlarged arms were covered with spikes. His body was draped with a white cape with red, stylized sun adorning its sides. "We're your opponents."

"Get out of our way!" snarled Natsu, his fists ablaze in flames.

"Nullpudding, Kurohebi," hollered Ivan. "Flare's got the boy. Take care of these other pests for me."

"Yes, Master," snickered Kurohebi. "I'll be _glad_ to use their magic against them." To make a point, he produced fire and lightning in his hands, apparently mimicking Natsu and Laxus' magic ability.

"We won't disappoint you, Master," said Nullpudding.

Smirking, their guild master turned to the redhead who was still toying around with Lucy like a puppeteer. "Flare, that's enough. Get _rid_ of that blonde girl. It's time to head back to our hideout," he snapped.

"But, Master," whined Flare, staring up at the celestial mage with satisfaction. "I really like her! Can I keep her, please?"

Gasping for air, Lucy kept trying to reach out to her celestial gate keys, which were hanging from her belt, but she could hardly move her arms as they were both tied up. She was starting to feel dizzy due to lack of air as the red locks around her throat were choking her with much more pressure now.

She darted her eyes at Laxus, whose face already looked pale. He was breathing heavily, his eyes half-shut. She noticed that Flare's mane around him was stained with blood. It was obvious that he was bleeding out.

_No_, she thought, her eyes glistening with tears. She was losing consciousness, and there was nothing she could do about it. _Hang in there, Laxus._

It was déjà vu all over again. She was that helpless girl who couldn't even help her comrades in times of danger. She had sworn to protect them after their battle against Phantom Lord, but it looked like she wouldn't be able to in her situation.

"You insolent girl," Ivan growled at the redhead, turning his back on her. "Just do whatever you want. Let's go." With that, he walked away without a backward glance.

Tears of joy welled up in Flare's eyes. Without hesitation, she followed her master and used her extended mane to drag the injured Laxus and Lucy along with her.

* * *

Laxus woke up in a fairly-lit cell. After blinking several times, he turned his head and saw Lucy lying face down next to him, still unconscious. He nervously reached out his hand to check on her pulse. To his immense relief, she was still alive. However, he could see bruises in her neck like she had been choked real hard.

He tried to sit up and then groaned as he felt a sharp pain somewhere in his abdomen. He slowly peeled off his bloodstained shirt, and he was surprised to find stitches in his wounds.

Frowning, he wondered who could've stitched them up. But then he took a closer look—these were red stitches, and they glistened. _What the hell? These are Flare's locks_, he thought, astounded.

He quickly scanned his eyes around the cell. The walls and floor appeared to be made of stones, and there were no windows. There was also a cave-like entrance a few meters away that enabled some light to enter the cell. However, it had multiple steel bars as barriers.

_Should be easy to blast those things off_, he thought.

Staggering to his feet, he tried to summon lightning, poised to destroy those bars—but nothing happened. Then, he tried again, but the result was the same. He clenched his teeth, trying to think fast. No one else was around except the celestial mage, so how come he couldn't summon his magic?

Moments later, the red-haired mage called Flare appeared from outside the bars. She was wearing a long scarlet dress, and her hair was tied in braided pigtails.

"I wanted her for myself," she said in a sad tone, gazing at the unconscious Lucy. "But Master forced me to put her in this cell with you."

"Where are we?" demanded Laxus.

"Underground," the redhead mumbled distractedly without looking at him. "By the way, Obra-san placed a magic canceling mark in your body in case you're wondering why you can't use your magic."

Scowling, he checked his body. There it was—a tiny black mark that looked like a trident. It was placed on the opposite side of his tribal tattoo. He didn't notice it earlier.

"What the hell," he muttered, staring at the strange mark with contempt. "It looks so out of place. Couldn't that insect have put it in my arm or something?" Yeah, he was awfully particular with tattoos and where they should go in his body. But now was not the right time to think about that.

He looked back at Flare, who still wouldn't meet his eyes. "You're Flare, right? Were you the one who stitched me up?" he asked.

The red-haired mage nodded. "Master didn't want you to die yet," she replied serenely. "Said he wanted you to feel the pain while he extracts that dragon lacrima out of your body."

Laxus stiffened. So, his old man wanted him to suffer more than he already had, did he? He still couldn't fathom how his father could have so much loathing toward him. It didn't matter now, he decided. That was all in the past.

Right now, he needed to get Lucy and himself out of this place and then find the others.

"Listen, Flare. Whether you like it or not, we're breaking out of here," he said determinedly, walking toward her until they were only a couple of feet apart. The only thing that was standing between them was the steel bars, which he could probably bend using his bare hands.

Flare tilted her head sideways, looking unconcerned. "You can try," she said simply.

Deciding to use brute strength, Laxus grabbed the bars with his hands, but then he recoiled when he suddenly felt his palms burn when they made contact with the steel. Grunting in pain, he quickly let go and took a few steps backward. "What the hell—?"

"_Gomen ne_, Laxus-san," said the redhead, her lips quivering. "Even I couldn't touch these bars. I do really want to get inside there."

He stared at her, perplexed. "Why do you want to get inside this cell?"

"Because I want to play with _her_," she sniffled.

Laxus glanced at Lucy's lying figure and then back at Flare. "Play with her?" he repeated, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "I doubt it."

Without warning, the redhead started giggling. Moments later, her giggles turned into hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny?" he asked, startled.

She didn't answer him and just kept on laughing, her shoulders shaking violently. Then, she looked up, her large eyes looking larger than usual. Flare was finally looking at him with a deranged expression.

Then, to his utter disbelief, she suddenly gripped the bars with her hands, and he saw them turn into crimson like her hair. "Flare," he growled, walking over to her. "Stop that. You're only hurting yourself!"

"I want to play with her," she cackled, tears streaming down her face. Somehow, she was laughing and crying at the same time. "I want to play with her!"

_This girl is barking mad_, he thought as he listened to her cries.

"Flare, silence yourself!" came Ivan's raspy voice.

Laxus' expression darkened as he saw his father appeared out of nowhere and then yanked Flare away from the bars. The girl fell to the ground, now completely sobbing and staring at her burnt hands. The sight was awfully disturbing.

Ivan turned his head and glared at the lighting mage. "_Boy_," he said in a disgusted tone.

"Hello, _Dad_," said Laxus sarcastically, returning his glare.

His father pretty much looked the same as many years ago, except that he had a lot more facial hair now. He wore an ornate cloak that seemed rather flashy, and, underneath, he sported a blue shirt over a pair of black trousers and boots.

The older mage laughed cruelly. "You know, you always followed me around like a lost puppy many years ago," he sneered. "Ah, yes, I can still remember. But you're never anything to me but a pathetic nuisance."

Laxus felt a stabbing pain in his chest after hearing his father's words, but he tried to contain himself. He would never let him have the satisfaction of knowing how much his words had hurt him.

"Listen, _boy_, I want to get things straight," his old man went on. "We're not a family, and I have no qualms in killing you to get that dragon lacrima out of your body. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you," he said coolly. "Why wait, though? Why not just kill me right now?"

"Ah, in a hurry to die, I see." Ivan chuckled. "Don't worry. It won't be long now." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away with his cloak billowing behind him, leaving Flare lying on the ground.

Moments later, Flare sat up and then rose to her feet, dusting the dirt off her dress with her injured hands and wincing in the process. Finally, she straightened up, and then she gave the lightning mage a pained smile before departing.

His chest heaving, Laxus walked over to the stone wall and slammed his fist into it. At least he finally heard straight from his father how he truly felt about him all these years. He was a fool to believe that his old man had loved him even just a little.

But he finally found the answers that he needed. He was no longer that kid who longed for his father's approval, he resolved. He was a lightning dragon slayer from Fairy Tail who sure as hell was going to send that bastard and his dark guild flying.

"Laxus? Where are we?"

Snapping out of his musings, Laxus turned his head. The celestial mage was finally awake.


	9. Locked Up

**Chapter Nine: Locked Up**

Lucy awoke with a start, her hand reflexively flying up to her neck; she was breathing normally again much to her relief. When she focused her eyes on her surroundings, she realized that she was no longer in the woods but rather in a cell with a small amount of light coming from the barred entrance. She could smell the scent of the earth all around her.

With a groan, she slowly sat up and then saw a familiar figure standing a few feet away with his broad back turned. His blond hair and ridiculously tall frame were unmistakable. "Laxus?" she called out in a hoarse voice. "Where are we?"

Laxus turned around to face her. "Lucy," he uttered, his expression looking surprised and relieved at the same time. He hurriedly crouched in front of her. "You okay?" he asked, his eyes searching.

"I think so," she replied, meeting his concerned gaze. She began skimming her fingers carefully along her neck, feeling her bruises there.

He nodded, still watching her carefully. "We're underground. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, really," she assured him, shooting him a quick smile. She tried to get to her feet with Laxus' help, his large hands holding each of her elbows for support. Then, she dusted herself off.

Lucy tried to remember what happened in the woods, and the memory of it slowly came back to her. The ambush. Flare's magic incarcerating everyone in midair. Laxus getting stabbed… She let out a startled gasp.

"What is it?" the lightning mage asked quickly, frowning.

"You… you were hurt," she stammered, looking up at him in confusion. "I saw you bleeding out…"

"No, no, I'm alright," he said soothingly. He gestured at the stitches in his bare body. "See? I'm not bleeding. Those bastards stitched me up somehow. I'm guessing they still want me alive, so I'm good."

She nodded, biting her lip. "That's… that's good to know."

_Yeah, there's definitely no need for me to tell her that my father wants to see me suffer as he extracts the dragon lacrima from my body,_ he thought, watching her pale face.

Both mages continued to stare at each other in silence for a moment until Lucy finally cleared her throat and said, "We should break out of here."

"Believe me, I tried. But Raven Tail placed an enchantment spell in this cell so we couldn't get out," he said darkly. "If only Freed was here."

"Who's Freed?"

"Ah, you haven't met him yet, but he's with Fairy Tail. He can set up or break any enchantment spells. He is, after all, a letter magic mage."

"I see. He sounds incredible to me."

"He is."

Lucy suddenly thought of summoning her most recently acquired celestial spirit, Virgo, to dig a hole out of this cell. She quickly tried to grab her celestial gate keys in her belt. But, to her dismay, they weren't there.

"Oh, no. Where are my celestial gate keys?" she cried, frantically scanning her eyes on the ground to see if they might have fallen off somehow.

"Raven Tail must've taken them while you're out," suggested Laxus grimly, narrowing his eyes. "Unfortunately, even if you do have them, I don't think you'll be able to use them anyway."

"What do you mean?" she asked anxiously.

"One of Raven Tail's guild members, Obra, placed a magic canceling mark on our bodies," he explained, pointing a finger at the right side of his bare chest. "I can't even summon a single lightning spell."

Lucy saw a dark mark on his body that was reminiscent of a trident. Then, she tried checking herself and found hers imprinted on the left part of her abdomen. "No, this can't be happening."

"Don't worry. I'm sure our comrades are on their way to break us out of here. Right now, we don't really have a choice but to sit tight."

"Yeah. I guess."

Laxus watched the celestial mage as she moved toward the corner of the cell and then sat with her legs stretched on the ground and back leaned against the stone wall. She was now examining her slender neck with her fingers.

Not knowing what else to do, he walked over to her and perched beside her with his legs crossed.

"Do you bruises hurt?" he asked quietly.

"A little," she replied. Then, she clasped her hands together and sighed.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing... Well, I was just thinking how right you are about me being a weakling." She let out a mirthless chuckle. "I was so useless out there in the woods."

He frowned. "Come on. Don't say that."

"It's true, though. I couldn't even fight, and look where it got me."

"We walked into Raven Tail's trap, and they ambushed us," he reasoned with her. "We weren't prepared for that, so don't be hard on yourself."

Lucy was quiet for a moment. "This is weird."

"What is?" asked Laxus.

"You trying to comfort me," she answered him.

"What's so weird about that?"

"Are you kidding me? You're always trying to get me to quit Fairy Tail, remember?"

Laxus bowed his head in shame. "_Gomen ne_. It was for selfish reasons, and I regretted it."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"The things that I did to you and everyone else—I know they're unforgivable. I was blinded by my anger. At that time, I wanted to reform Fairy Tail so badly that I didn't realize it was me who needed to change for the better." He looked at her for a moment. "And it wasn't exactly because of your dad's money that I agreed to take on his job request to make you quit the guild," he admitted ruefully.

"What do you mean?" asked Lucy, confused.

"Your dad said that he'd tell me where my old man was if I make you leave Fairy Tail for good. Somehow, he knew about his whereabouts. He even recognized me. At that time, I was desperate to find my dad that I was willing to betray you—or anyone who'd stand in my way."

Lucy was stunned by this revelation. Could someone really go that far as to betray a comrade so they could see their loved one?

Besides, how could her father know the whereabouts of Ivan? She did remember that Jude had a history of hiring mages in the past; he probably had dealings with the illusion mage at some point.

But if her father knew about his whereabouts, did that mean that they're still in contact with each other? Why would her father affiliate himself with a dark guild?

Lucy's mind was swirling with so many questions that she thought her head was about to burst. She wanted answers, but she knew she would only get them if she talked to her father.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you any of this," finished Laxus regretfully.

"Well, as much as I want to punch you in the face, now's really not the time to do that," she told him. "Let's just hope that our friends find us here so we can finally break free and stop Raven Tail."

He looked at her thoughtfully. "If punching me in the face would make you feel better, then I certainly wouldn't mind," he said. "Why don't you take a swing at me?"

Lucy rolled her eyes at him. "If you're asking me to punch you so that you'd be rid of your guilt, then you can forget it."

"There's no way your punch can make me forget the things that I did," he declared vehemently. "I'll always carry the guilt with me to the grave."

"Why are you asking me to punch you, then?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

He shrugged. "Because you said you wanted to."

"Yeah, more than anything, but I'm not going to, okay?"

To Lucy's astonishment, Laxus leaned forward and gestured her to hit him across the face with his index finger. "You can punch me right here," he told her. "Go on. Hit me. What are you waiting for?"

Bewildered, she quickly pushed her hand against his bare chest to put a safe distance between them. "Stop it. I won't do that."

"Why the hell not?" he growled, catching her hand and holding it in his. When she tried to pull it away, he only tightened his grip and then brought her hand up to his face. "Just hit me already. _Right here_."

"I said no," she snapped, glaring at him. She could feel the heat rushing to her face when she realized that she was already touching his face, which was looming over hers at the moment.

"Why? _Why_ won't you hit me?"

"Because this is crazy, and I _don't_ want to hurt you!"

That stopped him. "I see," he murmured, letting her hand go and drawing back. He sighed in frustration and then leaned back against the wall.

Lucy pulled her knees close to her chest and then wrapped her arms tightly around her legs, trying to steady her emotions and herself. "What is it with you?" she finally asked him.

Without looking at her, he said, "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Laxus cast a glance at her. "It's just that… I like you."

It took her a few moments to register what he just said. "You what?" she uttered in disbelief.

"I said I like you," he repeated as he ran a hand down his face. "I know you probably think I'm insane, but—I really like you."

* * *

"Why the hell are you calling me at this hour, Ivan? I'm very busy right now." Jude Heartfilia's rumbling voice could be heard from Ivan's communications lacrima.

"I'm _sorry_ to bother you, sir, but I have something important to tell you, and it can't wait," said Ivan in a sarcastic tone.

"I don't need your services at this time. I will call you if I do. Do we understand each other?"

Ivan's expression hardened; he always hated the other man's arrogance. He could still recall the first time he had accepted a job request from him. The task had been pretty easy; he only needed to spy on other Konzerns and report his findings to his employer.

As an illusion mage, Ivan proved to be an efficient spy, so the tycoon had called on him every few months and paid him well. Jude had benefited from learning the weaknesses of his business rivals, helping him eliminate them from the competition, so their alliance went on for many years.

Ivan cleared his throat. "The thing is, sir, your daughter is in my main hideout. I had to lock her up because she and her Fairy Tail friends tried to capture me and my guild."

"What?" yelled Jude. "What do you mean my _daughter_ is locked up in your main hideout? I am still your employer, you dumb fool! I demand that you return her to my mansion at once!"

The illusion mage sneered. "I will return her to you as soon as you find me a generous buyer for my dragon lacrima. Not unless you want to buy it yourself."

"How _dare_ you involve my daughter in this bargain?"

"You see, you _haven't_ called on me for months now, and I'm running a little low on funds."

There was a pause. He could sense his employer seething on the other line.

"Fine," the tycoon said finally. "I'll buy that damn lacrima of yours. You name your price."

Ivan grinned. "Now we're talking."

* * *

Lucy's face was on fire; Laxus had just told her something that she hadn't expected—at all. She started recalling her unpleasant encounter with him after Phantom Lord, the way he criticized her for being weak, and the measures he took so she would quit Fairy Tail. And now he was telling her that he liked her?

But then, she could remember those times when they were alone in the infirmary and the way he held her rather intimately in the woods. Laxus always had a reason to touch her and made her feel… _different_.

"Hey, _hey_—I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," the lightning mage uttered, snapping her out of her reverie. Then, she saw the worry in his eyes. "I did, didn't I?"

"Well, sort of," Lucy managed to say. She averted her eyes from him, feeling abashed. "I mean, no one's ever told me they like me before." She covered her face with her hands to hide her embarrassment, but then Laxus leaned forward and gently tugged at them so he could look into her eyes.

"Just forget what I said, alright?" he told her softly, watching her scarlet face. Her delicate features now looked more beautiful to him than ever.

Although Lucy was facing him, she still refused to meet his intense gaze. It was just too awkward for her. "How can I possibly forget what you said?" she muttered as she tried to wiggle her hands from his grasp, but Laxus wouldn't let her go.

"Why are you reacting this way?" he asked curiously, his eyes searching. The blonde chick was blushing furiously, and he could sense her nervousness. Was it possible that she harbored feelings for him, too?

"Because you're too close," she complained halfheartedly. His musky scent started to fill her senses that it was driving her mad. Unbeknownst to him, she was struggling desperately to keep herself afloat in her own mind.

"Please look at me." His voice sounded so deep and held a blazing intensity in it that she finally did as she was told. "I just need to know. Do you like me as well?"

"Laxus," she said helplessly, "now's really not the right time to be doing this…"

He cupped her face with his hands. "_Do_ you?"

"Y-yes," she admitted in an exasperated tone. "But we shouldn't be doing this right now. We're locked up, and we should be working on breaking ourselves out…"

Unable to stop himself, Laxus leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her fiercely. He felt her stiffen, her small hands trying to push him away, but he held on to her in a tight embrace and didn't stop until she finally opened her mouth and returned his kiss with unhidden fervor. Lucy's whole body quaked as she felt the heat radiating from his, consuming her completely.

Moments later, they broke apart, breathing heavily. With their foreheads pressed together, Laxus murmured, "Lucy, listen."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I'm breaking us out of here."

Within seconds, streaks of electricity started thrashing and crackling all over the cell, illuminating the place.


	10. The Hideout

**Chapter Ten: The Hideout**

Natsu watched in satisfaction as Nullpudding and Kurohebi finally fell on their knees, catching their breaths and glaring at their enemies with contempt. Apparently, they had underestimated Fairy Tail's teamwork, he thought, adjusting his scale-patterned scarf around his neck.

It wasn't that they weren't skilled. Nullpudding had the capability of expanding parts of his body like Makarov and producing spikes from his body at will, and Kurohebi could copy magic from the mages and exert the same amount of magic energy. While the older mage played the role of defense, the younger one, on the other hand, acted as the offense.

The only problem with these dark mages was that they had lousy timing, and they didn't work well together. Nullpudding had been bossy while Kurohebi had been a complete whiner. As a result, Natsu, Gray, Juvia, and Gajeel had easily kicked their asses.

"Had enough?" taunted Gray, grinning smugly at the Raven Tail duo. "What do you say you surrender in peace and tell us where your master is?"

"We'll never surrender to the likes of you!" sneered Nullpudding, his eyes glittering maliciously. He staggered back to his feet and then charged forward at the ice mage, his abnormally large fist aiming directly at him.

Although Gray was poised to dodge the attack, Juvia stepped in between them and blasted the attacker with her water magic, sending him back next to Kurohebi.

Spitting and coughing water from his mouth, the purple-skinned mage raged, "You'll pay for that one, you little bitch!"

"Hey, watch it," said Gejeel angrily, turning his arm into a long metal spear.

"Let me handle this," hissed Kurohebi, copying the iron mage's move; his arm also transformed into a metal spear.

Nullpudding placed his fat hand on his comrade's shoulder. "No," he growled. "I think it's time for us to head back to our hideout. Let's go."

The mimic mage gave him an uncertain look. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, you idiot! Now summon some lightning magic and teleport us out of here!"

"Oh, no, ya don't," yelled Natsu, running toward the dark mages with his fists aflame.

Kurohebi flashed his snake-like eyes at the fire mage and snickered. Then, within seconds, the Raven Tail duo disappeared into thin air before Natsu could even reach them. He tried to sniff them out, but their scents were no longer detectable.

"They're gone!" exclaimed Happy, glancing everywhere.

"Damn, we almost had them!" snarled Gajeel.

"What do you think we should do?" asked Juvia worriedly, looking at Natsu and Gray. "Should we split up and look for them?"

The ice mage frowned. "I guess we have no choice. Without them, we're clueless as to where they'd taken Laxus and Lucy," he replied.

"With their bruises, I'm sure they couldn't have gone far," suggested Happy.

"Alright. Gray, Happy, and I will search for them this way," declared Natsu, pointing to the East. "The two of you will search that way." He cocked his head to the West while looking at Juvia and Gajeel. "If any of us see somethin', we'll send a signal. Ya hear?"

The water mage looked startled at the thought of being separated from Gray, but Gajeel already grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. "Yeah, we have the flare gun," he agreed.

"Then, let's get moving," said Gray. "Catch you guys later, okay?" With a final wave, he followed Natsu and Happy as they headed to the East side of the woods.

"You bet," grunted Gajeel. Then, he began walking toward his designated direction, dragging Juvia along with him.

* * *

Lucy gasped and stared in amazement as streaks of electricity emerged everywhere in the cell, magnificently lighting up the place. She glanced back at Laxus, who looked pleased with himself, his imposing confidence returning.

"You can use magic," she said excitedly. "But how...?" She turned her attention to where his magic canceling mark once had been.

The lightning mage followed the direction of her gaze and smirked; the horrible-looking mark on his right chest was gone. This could only mean that he was able to void the magic canceling spell that the vile creature had placed on him.

_So that was all it took, huh,_he thought wryly, gazing into Lucy's hazel brown eyes. Mavis, she was beautiful, warm, and attractive—how the devil could he have ever hurt her the way he did?

When he had kissed her moments ago, his senses were filled with tremendous arousal. Something had ignited inside of him that he couldn't quite fathom. Learning that the celestial mage also had feelings for him had made him want to protect her even more—and make her his at the same time.

"I can now understand what _Jiji's_ been telling me all these years," he mused, lifting her chin with his fingers and watching her greedily.

"What are you talking about?" asked Lucy, distracted by his arresting gray eyes and realized that they had flecks of blue in them.

Laxus was quiet for a moment. Then, he dropped his hand and started walking toward the barred entrance. Without wasting time, he blasted off the steel bars by raising a crackling fist, causing a loud, zapping explosion.

"Certain emotions can increase one's magic power and ability," he said, turning around to grin at the celestial mage. "The strong desire to protect the ones you care about—it's where Fairy Tail gets their real strength from. Thanks to you, I was able to break out from that magic canceling spell."

Lucy had no words to say to that but felt flattered. However, that feeling was only fleeting when she realized that she couldn't sense her magic power coming back yet. No kidding. She wanted to protect Fairy Tail as much as he did—so why?

But then again, the towering mage in front of her was far more powerful than her. She really needed to make peace with that fact. Right now, she could only hope to find the others as soon as possible, get her celestial gate keys back, and then complete their mission in defeating and capturing Raven Tail.

"Lucy," he said softly. "You okay? You're spacing out."

Lucy blinked a few times before coming back to her senses. She gave him a quick smile. "Yeah," she answered, "I'm fine. I was just… Amazed, I guess. I'm glad you have your magic powers back."

Laxus looked at her for a moment with one corner of his lips curving upward. Then, he moved toward her, his eyes never leaving her face. Before she knew what was happening, his lips brushed against hers in a tentative kiss.

Unwittingly, she took a step back from him and swallowed hard.

"What's the matter?" he asked, surprised.

"Listen, uh," she mumbled. "We can talk about this later. We need to get out of here first and find the others. I want to make sure that they're okay."

His face fell, evident that he didn't expect this kind of reaction from her. But he simply nodded and gestured for them to leave the cell.

"Yeah, let's go find the others."

* * *

Ivan had just ended his conversation with Jude Heartfilia over the communications lacrima when he heard a loud explosion coming from the underground cell. As soon as he sensed Laxus' powerful lightning magic, he glared accusingly at Obra, who was crouching conveniently on his shoulder.

Angrily grabbing the small creature by the neck, he snarled, "What's the _meaning _of this, Obra? I thought you placed a magic canceling spell on that boy?"

Obra's eyes widened in surprise, and it desperately tried to squirm out of the man's vice-grip to no avail. Unable to breathe, it made a gagging noise.

"Master, don't!" cried Flare, tugging at her master's arm, but she was easily pushed aside by the powerfully-built man.

"I'm this close to finally getting what I want," seethed the illusion mage, "and you just had to mess it up because you didn't do your job!" With that, he threw Obra against the wall.

The redhead rushed toward the wheezing creature and held it in her arms.

Ivan watched them in pure disgust, thinking how useless they were. Then, he raised his muscular arms, trying to summon his illusion magic. He didn't want to take the risk of fighting his son without his lieutenants, Nullpudding and Kurohebi—who should've been back in their hideout by now.

He realized that if Laxus was able to find a way to thwart Obra's magic canceling spell, then he was not to be underestimated. Damn it. Damn _him_. For now, he needed to hide himself and his worthless puppets until the time was right.

* * *

Juvia sighed and glanced up to look at her tall, dark companion as they both wandered aimlessly into the woods. But then, she thought of Gray and how badly she wanted to go with him to look for their missing comrades. However, she knew they still had a better chance of finding their guildmates if they had someone with dragon slayer senses.

The iron mage was looking straight ahead, silently fuming over the fact that Juvia had looked so blatantly disappointed when she had to part ways with the ice mage pretty boy. He didn't realize that he was still gripping her hand tightly in his.

"Does Gajeel-san mind letting go of Juvia now?" prompted Juvia.

"Oh," was all Gajeel said, and he immediately dropped her hand without looking at her.

They continued their search in silence, looking everywhere to see any signs of movements or danger. It was already getting dark, and they could hear bats and critters in every direction.

"I hope you're not scared of snakes or spiders," the iron mage snickered, trying to break the ice.

The blue-haired girl scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Those things don't scare Juvia."

"Is that so? Gihihi," he continued to tease her. "Tell me. What scares you then?"

Juvia thought of Gray rejecting her feelings, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She would do anything to win his affections, but what would be the best way to do that? Should she ask Gajeel? No. That was probably a terrible idea. The iron mage was always so overprotective of her that it was beyond annoying.

"You're no fun," came Gajeel's grumble when she didn't answer his question. _She's probably still thinking about him. Ugh. Juvia…_

Moments later, they felt the ground shake.

Gajeel stopped in his tracks and grinned. "Gihihi. Sensed that one, Juvia?"

Juvia had stopped, too. "It's Laxus-san's magic. Juvia can feel it!" she breathed.

He nodded and then looked down. "They're underground, I can tell. Go signal the others while I start digging." With that, he transformed his arm into an iron dragon shovel.

The water mage quickly opened her small bag and pulled out the flare gun that Gajeel had given her prior to departing for the mission. Then, she pointed it to the sky and pulled the trigger.

* * *

The sky was starting to grow dark, and the breeze suddenly became chilly. Natsu, Happy, and Gray searched everywhere for any signs of Raven Tail or their missing comrades, but they didn't have any luck.

"_Ne—_Natsu!" called Happy, falling a step beside the fire mage.

Natsu glanced down at his best friend as he led the others deeper into the woods. "What is it, buddy?" he asked distractedly.

"Lucy dropped these earlier," the blue feline replied, wiggling a group of keys with his paws. "I think you should carry them."

"Whoa! Good job, Happy." He took the silver and golden keys from his best friend and then slid them inside the pocket of his pants. "Can imagine her goin' nuts out there, wonderin' what happened to her celestial gate keys."

"Think she and Laxus are alright?" mumbled Gray. He didn't really mean to ask out loud, but he was worried sick about those two.

"Of course, they are," declared the pink-haired boy, gritting his teeth. He was apparently worried about his friends, too, but was unwilling to show it. "Once I find Raven Tail, I'm gonna teach 'em a lesson they'll never forget! No one messes with Fairy Tail and gets away with it!"

At that moment, they saw a red flare in the sky, indicating Juvia and Gajeel's signal. They tensed up and looked at one another.

"_Ikuzo!_"

* * *

Laxus wasn't surprised to find bookshelves, tables, chairs, and even sleeping cots a few turns from the prison cell where he and Lucy had been. The place was, after all, a dark guild's hideout.

He could still smell his father's scent, but he couldn't find him or his followers anywhere. They might have heard the explosion that he created in the prison cell and then decided to flee. What cowards.

_Pathetic._

Right now, he wanted to find his other comrades. He was convinced that they wouldn't lose to those Raven Tail thugs, but he still wanted to make sure that they were okay.

To his annoyance, Lucy hadn't uttered anything since they left the prison cell. What was going on in her mind, he couldn't guess. As much as he wanted to hasten his pace, he didn't want this blonde chick to fall behind.

What if he just teleported them both out of the hideout? That should save them some time. But Laxus would need to hold Lucy close so that his teleportation magic would work on both of them. Would she let him?

The lightning mage was about to share his thoughts with her when he heard a rumbling sound from above.

Lucy looked up and stared curiously. "What's going on up there?"

Laxus frowned as he sensed that someone was heading straight to their direction from above. Any moment now, he was about to learn who was doing all that digging. Could it be...?

"_Oi_, found you, Blondie!" yelled Gajeel as he landed heavily on the ground along with several rocks. He was covered with dirt and maybe a few wriggly worms, but he was smiling broadly at Lucy. But when his gaze shifted to Laxus, he cleared his throat and gave him a curt nod. "Laxus."

"You found us!" cried Lucy.

Moments later, a sturdy-looking rescue rope descended from the large hole that the iron mage had created using his metal arm shaped like a giant shovel.

"Juvia's up there with Natsu and Gray," explained Gajeel as he transformed his metal arm back to normal and took hold of the rope. "They're going to pull us up, so I'm gonna go first, okay? Gihihi."

"Yeah, okay," answered Lucy, feeling relieved. She beamed at Laxus, who was looking at her oddly, and then her smile faltered. She could tell that he was still awkward around her, but maybe they could talk about what happened later.

"Lucy! It's your turn!" they could hear Natsu yelling.

The celestial mage held the rope in her hands and looked at Laxus for a moment. "Well," she murmured, "I'll see you up there."

The tall mage nodded his head, his stormy eyes glued into hers. "Yeah. See you."


	11. Tension in the Air

**Chapter Eleven: Tension in the Air**

Guild Master Makarov was silent for a few minutes as he eyed the team he had sent to subdue Raven Tail. They had returned to the guild and went to his office to report that the dark guild had managed to escape them, making the whole thing a failed mission.

Lucy also informed him about what happened to her and Laxus: their capture and how one of the members of the dark guild had a magic canceling ability. Then, she showed him the magic canceling mark that was imprinted on the left side of her abdomen.

"And you said it was the both of you who got this mark?" he asked, his eyes shifting from the celestial mage to his grandson.

"I was able to get rid of mine," said Laxus, averting his eyes.

Makarov's raised his white eyebrows. "How did you manage to do that?" He turned to look at Lucy quizzically when his grandson didn't respond and seemed to be more interested in examining the ceiling.

To his surprise, the blonde girl blushed. "I… don't know…" she hesitated.

Laxus glanced at her for a moment before he raised an eyebrow at his grandfather. "My own magic dispelled it, I guess," he said nonchalantly. "I'm not that _weak_, you know."

Lucy nearly cracked her neck when she turned it to glare at him. "What are you trying to imply?" she demanded, clenching her fists.

"What do you think?" he shot back, returning her angry look.

"Alright, that's enough," the elderly mage interrupted. Then, he sighed, shaking his head. "Can someone get Levy over here and have this magic canceling spell taken care of?"

"Juvia and I will go and get her," said Gajeel. Then, he nodded at the blue-haired mage. "Come on."

Juvia gave the iron mage with an irritated look, but she followed him out of the office nevertheless.

As soon as they left, Natsu began making a fuss about the failed mission, obviously stubborn about finding Raven Tail and getting back at them for what they did to his guildmates. Proud yet exasperated by the fire mage's determination, Makarov finally raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Thank you, Natsu," he said calmly. "But I think I will have to involve the Magic Council in this matter."

"_Nandato?!_" the fire mage exclaimed. "Oh, come on, Gramps. They won't escape us this time, I swear!"

The elderly mage was hesitant to send the same team after Raven Tail because he knew that Ivan was quite cunning. He could still recall how the other Dreyar had used his illusion magic to hide from his father in the past, especially when he caused trouble. He had always been good at escaping.

"I understand that you want to avenge your friends, but this time, I will have to take care of this myself," he insisted. "But I thank you all for your efforts."

"No way," the fire mage declared. "It's like you're tellin' us to give up, but that's not how we do things." He turned to Gray. "Go tell him, Gray. Back me up here."

Everyone turned their heads to look at Gray, who appeared startled at being placed in the spotlight. As much as he would like to finish the job, he didn't want to disobey Makarov's orders. "Well, if Master says we should stay out of it…" he began.

"Coward," taunted Natsu, apparently affronted that Gray refused to back him up. But the ice mage just shrugged his shoulders, not daring to pick a fight with his comrade in front of Makarov.

"Natsu, that's enough!" the elderly mage scolded.

"But Gramps…!"

While Makarov and Natsu continued to argue, Lucy tried to calm herself. What on earth was going on with him? Why was Laxus suddenly acting like a jerk toward her? Was he angry at her because of what happened back in the prison cell?

She sighed quietly. Maybe she should have explained herself, but she had a lot in her mind at that time. There was no denying the attraction and sexual tension, but in truth, she didn't really know him well enough or even ready to be involved in the kind of relationship that he seemed to be expecting.

Yes, she had confessed to him that she liked him, too. Laxus was an attractive man, after all, and overwhelmingly so. And, yes, she had also kissed him back, but that was all because she got caught in the moment. Those damn lips of his...

But so much had happened, and she still needed to figure out whether her father was involved with the dark guild. Right now, all she could think about was confronting him about it. What if Jude was indeed associated with Ivan? Should she ask him if he knew the whereabouts of the illusion mage? For sure, his father would laugh at her for even asking for his help or, worse, he would ask for an exchange; he would want her to come home and marry her off to some rich man who would be able to help finance the Heartfilia Konzern.

She had already said her final goodbye to her father, determined to sever ties with him for good. But she also felt that she had an obligation to see him again and gather more information about Ivan. If she could at least help Makarov in capturing the man, then all this trouble would be worth it…

The door suddenly burst open, interrupting Lucy's thoughts. Levy had entered the office, followed by Gajeel and Juvia. She was wearing a pair of large-sized glasses and carrying a large book in her arms.

Makarov and Natsu immediately stopped bickering and turned to look at the petite mage, who was panting as if she had been running.

When Levy saw Lucy, she smiled sympathetically and said, "Gajeel just told me what happened, so I rushed into the archives room to look for an enchantment that would get rid of that magic canceling mark." She raised the book that she was carrying. "It's all here."

Lucy rushed forward to hug her. "Oh, Levy-chan! Thank you!"

"Ah, that's good." Makarov nodded, and then he turned his attention back to the attendees. "As for everyone else, I want you all to go home and rest up. Tomorrow, you can resume your usual routine and make our guild proud. I will deal with Raven Tail myself." He glared at Natsu. "And my decision is final, Natsu."

Natsu scowled. "Fine," he grumbled.

The elderly mage waved his hand. "Except for Laxus, you're all dismissed."

As everyone started to leave the guild master's office, Lucy could see Laxus walking over to Makarov's table. Before she closed the door, she heard him ask his grandfather what he wanted from him.

"_Ne_, Lu-chan," prompted Levy. "Shall we get started?"

"Yeah, of course," replied Lucy.

Smiling, the script mage led her to a corner and then asked for her to show the magic canceling mark. Obligingly, the blonde lifted the hem of her top to expose it.

"It'll probably take about fifteen minutes for me to complete the nullifying spell, Lu-chan," said Levy, flipping the pages of the book that she was holding.

"Thanks, Levy-chan. I really appreciate this. I can't imagine not being able to summon my spirits anymore. In fact, I almost lost my celestial gate keys out there."

"Why? What happened?"

Lucy sighed heavily, feeling embarrassed. "Well, my gate keys kind of fell off when I got captured, I guess. If it weren't for Happy, they'd still be out there in the woods."

Levy gave her an understanding look. "That must've been rough... Well, there's no need to dwell on that anymore, Lu-chan. I mean, you're here. You got your gate keys back, and you're safe." She held her hand. "I'm going to be casting the nullifying spell now, alright?"

The blonde nodded and forced a smile as she tried to wipe away the tears that formed in her eyes. She was physically and emotionally exhausted that she couldn't wait to get home and retreat to the comfort of her bed. "Yeah."

"And you should really do something about those bruises in your neck," the petite mage added. "We have some ointments in the infirmary. After this, I can accompany you there if you like—Lu-chan? Lu-chan, are you alright?"

But Lucy was already having trouble keeping her balance as she felt the world sway around her. After a few moments, she dropped to the floor, barely hearing Levy calling out her name. Then, everything went dark.

* * *

When Lucy opened her eyes, she found herself lying in a comfortable bed with a couple of soft pillows and cool white sheets. It took her a moment to realize that she was in the guildhall's infirmary and that a beautiful pair of sapphire eyes was staring back at her.

She recognized the white-haired girl wearing a sleeveless maroon dress immediately. She finds her beauty still mesmerizing. "Mira-san," she said. "What happened?"

"Levy said you passed out while she was casting a nullifying spell on you," Mirajane told her concernedly. "Laxus had to carry you here."

"Laxus? Oh," the blonde muttered, trying to sit up. When she looked around, there was no sign of the powerfully built-mage anywhere.

"Everyone had left since it's already late, but they were so worried about you," the older mage continued. "I told them that you only needed to rest for a bit. You're exhausted, Lucy. You shouldn't push yourself too hard."

Lucy nodded. "I'll try to remember that, Mira-san," she assured her. "Thanks for looking after me." She lifted the hem of her top and saw that that the magic canceling mark was no longer there. She smiled to herself. "I guess I should get going now. You should head home, too."

Mirajane giggled. "I sure will. It's been a long day."

Suddenly, to Lucy's surprise, Laxus entered the infirmary. He was wearing a white sweater and a pair of blue pants. His blond hair looked damp as if he just came out from the shower, which he probably did since he totally looked fresh and clean.

The celestial mage blinked. "I thought you said everyone had left," she murmured to Mirajane, which she knew was pointless because Laxus could definitely hear her even if he was at the doorway.

But the other girl seemed to be just as surprised. "Hi, Laxus," she greeted her fellow S-Class mage. "I thought you already left with the others."

"Was at the shower room," came his deep voice.

The celestial mage sucked in a breath, feeling embarrassed at how she probably looked—and _smelled_. Earth and dried sweat. Ugh. She definitely didn't want to be anywhere near him, but then he could probably smell her from here.

"Oh, finally, she's awake," said Laxus airily. "Can we go home now?"

Lucy clenched her fists. _I get it, Laxus. You're angry at me,_ she thought. _I wish you'd be more patient—I was going to explain._

"Laxus, don't be rude," scolded Mirajane. "Lucy's been through enough."

The lightning mage looked away, his face showing a hint of guilt.

In truth, he had been worried about her. When he and his grandfather were discussing things in the office, he had heard Lucy collapse on the floor and Levy yelling her name. Laxus had immediately dashed outside, lifted her in his arms, and headed straight to the infirmary.

Most of his guildmates had followed him, especially Natsu, who demanded to know what happened to her. Mirajane had tried to stop most of them from entering the infirmary so that Lucy could have some air.

Now that Lucy was finally awake, Laxus decided to make sure that she would be able to get home safely, although he was positive that she would refuse his company after the way he had treated her.

Yeah, he had to admit that he had acted like an asshole. But it's not like he could help it. The blonde chick had suddenly started becoming distant to him, avoiding his eyes, and pretending as if there was nothing between them. What the hell was her deal?

When he asked her if she liked him, she had admitted that she did. She had even returned his kiss, and he could tell that she had enjoyed it as much as he did. So, was he wrong to assume that they were going somewhere with their relationship?

But then again, she did say that they were going to talk about what happened. Maybe he should've waited?

Laxus watched as Lucy stood up and straightened her clothes, her face impassive. Then, it hit him that he should've waited. He should've!

_Shit!_

"I'm fine, Mira-san, really," the blonde chick said calmly. "Thanks again for everything. I better go home now."

Mirajane hugged her tightly. "Okay, Lucy. Make sure to get some more rest, alright? Your bruises should be fine by tomorrow since I already applied a special ointment on them."

"You're the best, Mira-san," said Lucy, pulling back from the older girl. "I'll see you tomorrow." Then, she headed straight to the infirmary door and let herself out, pointedly ignoring Laxus.

When she finally left the guildhall and walked along the quiet streets of Magnolia, she began mentally jotting down the things that she needed to do for tomorrow. Oh, yes, she was definitely going to visit her father again so she could get things straight with him.

There was no doubt in her mind that Natsu would drop by her apartment tomorrow if she didn't show up in the guild, so she planned to leave a note on her desk to tell him that she was going to be away for a few days.

Now that she no longer had the magic canceling mark on her body, she should be fine, Lucy thought, glancing at her celestial gate keys hanging from her belt. Yes, she should be fine. Maybe during her trip, she could finally begin her training with Loke—or Leo, rather.

"Lucy, wait up."

That deep voice. Eyes wide, Lucy spun around and saw Laxus walking toward her, his long strides quickly closing the distance between them.

"Stalking me now, are you?" she said flatly, looking up at the towering mage. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" he repeated incredulously. Then, he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for the way I acted. I-I don't know what came over me. I was just so… mad. But I know I have no right to be mad at you. I…"

Lucy heaved a sigh well. "I understand why you're mad. I should've explained myself sooner, but…"

"No," he insisted. "I should've waited."

They stared at each other for a moment before she finally said, "I'm cold. Do you want to come over to my apartment for a minute? We can talk there if you want."

_Her apartment?_ _Now why would she invite me over to her apartment at this hour? Unless…?_

"Wipe that smirk off your face right now, Laxus Dreyar," she told him sternly. "The only reason why I'm inviting you over was that I needed to leave early tomorrow."

Laxus frowned. He should really stop jumping into conclusions. "Why? Where are you going?" he asked.

Without answering him, Lucy turned around and started walking again. The lightning mage smoothly fell into step beside her, deciding that he should hold off from asking her questions until they reached her apartment. He couldn't help but wonder what the hell they were going to talk about, though, but whatever—he hoped that they could still do things other than talking while they were there.


	12. Lucy's Apartment

**Chapter 12: Lucy's Apartment**

Lucy's apartment was nothing Laxus had anticipated. He thought that he would be seeing an absurd collection of magic items, some dumb statues, or strange plants; most female mages he knew were always into those things. However, her place seemed to look… _normal_.

She owned a large number of books in her bookcase, though, but that didn't really surprise him. She did strike him as the kind of person who was into doing decent stuff that good girls were interested in—like reading. Ha.

Aside from the bookcase, the main room also had a dining table with three chairs, a red armchair, a coffee table, a simple dresser, a study desk, and a comfortable-looking bed. Pink wallpapers covered the walls, and the wooden floors looked polished as if they were thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned.

Ah, what a cozy home she had. Laxus could smell her sweet natural scent everywhere, which stimulated his senses, and it only heightened when his eyes fell on the bed near the window. So, that was where Lucy would always sleep. Then, his mind pictured her lying there, wearing a sheer nightdress, her silky blonde hair caressing her face and slim shoulders, her soft lips parting slightly…

He shook his head, trying to control his thoughts, but it was futile. All he could think about right now was continuing what they had started back in Raven Tail's hideout. Mavis, he wanted her so bad right now that it took all of his self-control not to grab her and then—

"Listen," said Lucy, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm going to, uh, take a shower first. Just, you know, make yourself at home."

The idea of her taking a shower didn't seriously help at all. But she was already walking toward the other end of the room. He watched her push the blue curtain that separated the main room and bathroom and disappeared from his sight.

Laxus slowly walked around the place, eyeing her stuff until he caught a framed portrait of a blonde woman placed neatly at the top of her desk. He realized that she bore a resemblance to Lucy, so he figured that the woman was the celestial mage's mother.

He didn't see her anywhere in the Heartfilia mansion, so he presumed that she had already passed away, leaving Lucy under the care of her heartless father. That was something that they shared in common.

Laxus suddenly heard the shower turn on, and he whipped his head in the direction of the bathroom entrance. He gritted his teeth when the fragrance of lavender and her scent filled his nostrils moments later.

_Seriously, I'm having a hard time believing that she only invited me over to talk_, he thought, looking at the clock hung on the wall. It was past bedtime. What else would a man and woman be doing at this hour if they weren't sleeping? Certainly, they wouldn't only be _talking_.

But Laxus knew that he shouldn't get his hopes up. When they kissed back in Raven Tail's hideout, he was sure that he had won her over. However, when he tried to kiss her again, she suddenly appeared reluctant and then acted strangely after that like she regretted it or something.

The thought of Lucy regretting their kiss was something the lightning mage couldn't accept. If he needed to remind her how right it felt to be in each other's arms, then he would be willing to kiss her again. Kiss her until she realized that there was no more room for doubt in her pretty head.

* * *

The hot water felt good on Lucy's skin. She smiled to herself as she rubbed her favorite soap all over her body. At last, she got rid of the stench of the earth that had clung to her. There was no way she would be having a conversation with the lightning mage with her smelling like crap.

There was no doubt in her mind that Laxus would want to know where they were going with their relationship since their kiss. In truth, she wasn't sure herself. The thought of dating the lightning dragon slayer made her heart race with excitement, but she feared that she wasn't ready for a romantic relationship yet. She still wanted to prove to herself that she was capable of anything like taking on a strong opponent and protecting her friends.

Whenever she was with Laxus, his imposing presence and strength overwhelmed her, making her feel weak and incompetent. She didn't know why, but it was different when she was with Natsu, Gray, or Erza; her friends would make her feel motivated to get stronger so she could fight alongside them.

Lucy sighed. Well, there was no point in prolonging the agony. She needed to get this over with since she still needed to leave early tomorrow. She was going to have to turn Laxus down because dating him now just didn't make any sense to her.

Besides, the lightning mage was such a complex guy. One minute he would be nice to her, and the next, he would be a complete asshole. Then, he would apologize for acting out his feelings. Yeah, he would be a handful.

It wasn't that she couldn't handle his horrible attitude because she certainly could stand up to him. In fact, she found his disposition challenging in a way that it would frustrate her yet excite her at the same time. But right now, she didn't exactly feel the need to be dealing with that crap when she had more important things to do.

One of these days, she was going to prove to him that she wasn't the weakling he thought she was. Although he did say that he regretted trying to get her to quit Fairy Tail, the thought of him initially believing that she didn't deserve to be in the guild made her insides burn with anger.

She was going to get stronger. Maybe she would never surpass Laxus' incredible strength, but at least she could show him that she wasn't a burden to the guild and that she was capable of protecting her comrades.

_Crap. Why can't I just move on from this? Why do I feel the need to prove myself to him of all people? This need is awfully addicting, but I can't help myself!_

It was addicting. _And_ toxic.

As if growing up with a toxic of a father wasn't bad enough, she thought bitterly. Always having to prove herself of being worthy of a Heartfilia had made her sick to her stomach.

No, she wasn't going to get looped into another toxic relationship.

_There's no way._

Having made her decision, Lucy quickly stepped out from the shower, dried herself with a towel, and then put on a bathrobe. When she believed that none of her curves were showing, she cautiously stepped outside the bathroom, her eyes searching for the blond stud.

Much to her annoyance, her breath was caught in her chest when their gaze locked. She never thought that her attraction to Laxus had grown this strong that it was difficult to fight it. She swallowed hard.

"Hi," he uttered, his voice deep and rich. He was sitting by the dining table, leaning his back casually on the chair.

It was all Lucy could do to not cower back into her bathroom as she felt her blood rushing to her face. She nodded at him in response, not sure if she could find her voice yet. Then, she awkwardly walked over to her dresser, pulled out a few clothes, and then went back to the bathroom to change.

A couple of minutes later, she finally looked at herself in her bathroom mirror as she combed her damp hair with her fingers. She glanced over her yellow cotton top and white shorts, pleased that she looked plain and simple in them. Apparently, she didn't want Laxus to have the impression that she was trying to look good in front of him. She was, after all, going to turn him down.

Or was she?

_Spirits, I really need to get myself together!_

Walking back to the main room, she seated herself opposite to Laxus and wondered if he could hear the thundering of her heart inside her chest. She realized that he probably could when one of the corners of his lips curved up into a half-smile.

"So? Let's talk," he said, clasping his large hands together on the table. "What's up?"

Lucy cleared her throat. "Right," she muttered. "Um, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but… what happened between us back in the Raven Tail hideout…" She bit her lip for a moment. "I-I think we should just forget about it."

"I don't understand," he told her, his thick brows furrowing. "Didn't you say you like me?"

She hesitated. "Well, yeah..." He certainly wasn't going to make this easy for her. He was looking at her so intensely that she thought she might melt.

He leaned forward. "Then, what's the problem?"

"I-I've been dealing with a lot of things lately," she went on, "so I don't think I'm ready to be dating anyone."

But Laxus didn't look convinced. "Look, Lucy. We all got stuff going on with our lives, but I'm sure they're things that we're capable of handling. We're adults. Why should they stop us from being together?"

Lucy didn't answer as she was at a loss on what to say. How could he phrase things in a way that made a lot of sense? It made her feel like an inept child who often made lame excuses to get out of a situation. But none of what he was saying, though they sounded rational, felt right to her. Spirits, he was in no position to invalidate her feelings toward the matter.

"I know you think that my feelings aren't important," she began, but he immediately raised a hand, his eyes widened in surprise.

"_Oi, oi,_ that's not true," he argued. "What I'm only trying to say is…" He trailed off for a moment, fumbling for the right words. "I still want to be with you, and if you're dealing with stuff, then I want to be there for you. All I'm asking is for you to let me. Is that so hard?"

"Why do you want to be with me?" she asked in frustration. "Why me in particular? What's so special about me, huh?"

It was Laxus' turn to be silent. He was obviously in shock by her sudden outburst.

Angry tears started forming in Lucy's eyes. "You know what," she said curtly. "I _hate_ being around you. You always make me feel so weak. Is that why you want to be with me? So you'll have someone to walk all over—?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" he growled, his eyes flashing. "I don't _think_ that way, so don't you dare accuse me of this."

Laxus could feel his heart being ripped out of his chest. What was going on with her? She was babbling nonsense and started tearing up. Was he really that awful of a person?

Maybe he was. After all, he did try to kill everyone. Maybe he didn't deserve her. But, Mavis, did he want her, but not for the reasons she thought.

"Look," he told her, his voice carefully controlled. "If you really don't want to be with me, then I'm in no position to force you. If you want us to forget what happened between us, then fine. It's your call."

Lucy wiped her tears from her eyes with her hands and breathed heavily. She realized that what she had said to him was rather unfair. She was making him the bad guy again when it was her own insecurities that brought doubts in her mind.

"Are we done talking now?" he asked, leaning back against the chair and drumming his fingers on the table.

The blonde chick slowly nodded her head without looking at him. She looked so sad and hurt that Laxus couldn't bear watching her in that state.

"Good," he murmured. Then, he got up from the chair, grabbed her by the upper arm, and pulled her toward him.

Lucy let a yelp of surprise when the towering mage suddenly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She could feel his chin resting on the top of her head.

"Laxus...?"

"It's okay."

The next thing she knew, he was gone.

* * *

Laxus thought that he was going to lose his mind the moment he left Lucy's apartment. He headed straight to a local bar that he knew was going to be open until the wee hours of the morning. Yeah, he definitely needed a drink. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway after getting rejected by that blonde chick.

He chuckled silently to himself. He wasn't used to getting rejected by women, but there was always a first for everything, right? How could a woman admit that she likes a man but then refuses to be with him?

An interesting person, indeed, Lucy Heartfilia was. What he wouldn't give to win her affections, but, ah, she already made it clear to him that he didn't have a shot.

The attractive barmaid at the counter finally handed him a bottle of beer. She winked flirtatiously at him, and Laxus nodded his thanks.

"I never thought I'd be seeing you here drinking by yourself, Laxus," a familiar voice said behind him.

Laxus turned around and grinned broadly, recognizing the scent. As expected, he saw three pairs of eyes staring back at him.

The Thunder Legion was finally back in Magnolia.


	13. In the Company of Friends

**Chapter 13: In the Company of Friends**

Natsu had planned to sneak into Lucy's place with Happy and then wait for her to wake up. He had been deeply troubled when she suddenly fainted yesterday, but Mirajane had insisted that she only needed to rest for a bit.

But here was his _nakama_, looking surprised and guilty at the sight of him through her apartment window. She appeared to be in the middle of writing something on a piece of paper from the looks of it. She was also dressed for work, Natsu noticed.

_She's up early_, he mused, pushing the glass window open and then jumping into her room with the blue feline._ But she never gets out of bed until brunch._

"N-Natsu," she stammered, clumsily dropping her pen to the floor.

"What are you up to, Luce?" he asked suspiciously, folding his arms and leaning his back against the wall. He saw that her eyes were puffy. Had she been crying?

"Nothing, I-I was just, you know. I…" the blonde mage began in a shrill voice. Then, she closed her mouth, realizing how rattled she must have sounded.

Clearing her throat, she smiled at them and composed herself. "So, uh, what are you guys doing here?"

It was Happy who answered. "We were worried about you, Lushi."

Moved, Lucy blushed. "Aw, thanks, Happy," she said, winking at him. "But I'm fine now, so there's no need to worry about me."

But Natsu scoffed at her. "You don't seem fine to me," he argued. "C'mon, Luce. What's up?"

She pressed her lips together for a moment. There was no point in hiding it from him. Apparently, he could see right through her. "I'm… I'm going away to see my dad," she finally mumbled.

Natsu's eyes darted from her face to the brown knapsack lying on the edge of her bed. Then, he narrowed his eyes. "And you're plannin' to go by yourself?" he asked. "Happy and I can tag along with you. We're a team, ya know."

"Aye," said Happy, nodding his head.

"Well," she replied hesitantly, "I didn't want to bother you guys with this." She picked up her pen from the floor and then placed it on top of her unfinished note.

"With what, Luce? _Ne_. You're not plannin' to leave Fairy Tail—?"

"No, no, of course not! That's _really_ not it. I..."

Taking a deep breath, Lucy finally told them about her suspicions that her father was associated with Raven Tail. When her friends gave her a questioning look, she narrated what Laxus had told her about his bargain with Jude and then suggested that if her father knew about Ivan's whereabouts, it could only mean that they were somehow affiliated.

"That idiot Laxus," said Natsu, bumping his fists together. "I'd _never_ give you up or any of my _nakama_ just to get information about Igneel's whereabouts. I'd go look for it myself!"

Lucy threw him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Natsu," she said. "Well, Laxus already apologized for it, and I really think he's trying to change, you know?"

Her pink-haired friend nodded. "Yeah, I know," he agreed, grinning back. "He just slipped up, is all." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Casting Fairy Law on everyone is hardly a slip up, Natsu," she said, rolling her eyes. "He really messed up big time, and I'm sure everyone's still upset about it."

But the fire mage just shrugged his shoulders again. "So what? I'm not. They'll get over it."

Lucy sighed. Perhaps, to Natsu, a guildmate casting the Fairy Law spell on their comrades is only equivalent to him stealing food from the fridge, which can easily be forgiven. What a crazy guy... and a loyal friend.

"Anyway, I still want to know if my dad is really working for Raven Tail—or the other way around," she told him, changing the subject. "I just can't let this one go."

"Yeah, I get ya, Luce," he said. "C'mon, move your butt. Are we headin' to your dad's place to dig up some dirt or what?"

* * *

Laxus' head was throbbing when he opened his eyes. His mouth felt awfully dry, and he wanted nothing more in this world than to drink a glass of water. Mavis was he _thirsty_.

He realized that he was back in his apartment. But the last thing he could remember was sharing drinks with Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen last night—but then he had gotten way too drunk and passed out.

_What happened?_

Groaning, he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. Were those bacon and eggs he smelled? He quickly scrambled to his feet and then went to his kitchen.

"Ah, there you are, Laxus. You're finally awake!" chirped Freed, trying to place strips of bacon into the frying pan.

Laxus's jaw dropped. The Thunder Legion was in his freaking kitchen, wearing frilly aprons and trying to make breakfast. What the hell was going on?

"What do you guys think you're doing at my place?" he growled.

"Oh, lighten up, Laxus," said Evergreen. "You passed out last night, so we decided to take care of you this morning." Then, she winked at him. "So, how's the hangover?"

Laxus stared at her for a moment. "Never better," he lied. Then, he walked over to the kitchen sink and poured himself a glass of water.

"Never thought you'd be crazy over some chick," remarked Bixlow, placing a couple of sliced bread into the toaster. "This is an interesting development."

The lightning mage nearly choked on his drink. "The hell do you mean by that?" he demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Well, you went on and on about this new girl in Fairy Tail last night while we were carrying you back here," explained Evergreen, helping herself to a fried bacon strip that Freed had placed on a large plate. "Lucy—that's her name, right?"

Laxus could feel his face growing hot with embarrassment. Did he really tell the Thunder Legion about Lucy? Of course, he did. Otherwise, Evergreen couldn't have known the blonde chick's name.

And the three of them had to carry him home?

"Oh, come on, there's no need to be embarrassed," said Freed brightly. "I'm sure she'll realize her mistake for rejecting you like that."

So, he had told them about _that_, too. Well, that did it. The lightning mage placed his glass of water in the sink and then left the kitchen, grumbling incoherent words under his breath. He headed straight to his bathroom so he could take a shower, ignoring the fact that he could hear Bixlow and Evergreen roaring with laughter.

_Idiots._

* * *

Lucy's second trip to the Heartfilia mansion was far more interesting than the first one since, this time, a group of thugs materialized out of nowhere with the intent of robbing her and her friends.

As always, Natsu appeared to be all fired up at the prospect of beating up some bad guys, and the celestial mage couldn't help but get excited as well since this was an opportunity for her to summon her zodiac spirits again.

"Alright," yelled Natsu, pointing his finger at the large men who were cracking their knuckles. "Which one of you punks wanna go down first?"

One of the thugs laughed loudly. "Look at this puny kid, boss, taunting us like a complete moron."

"Look, kid," said the burly man who appeared to be the group's leader, "if you don't want to get hurt, hand over all your money."

"Not gonna happen," declared Natsu. "Besides, we don't even have any money—"

"Natsu," snapped Lucy, glaring at her pink-haired friend. "That's really not necessary." She pulled out one of the celestial gate keys and yelled, "Open, Gate of the Lion—Leo!"

Leo the Lion appeared, wearing his usual formal black suit and azure-tinted sunglasses. He grinned at Lucy and then nodded at the fire mage as greeting.

"Ha! Sup, Loke!" said Natsu, slapping the celestial spirit's hand in a high-five. He was glad that even though he rarely got to see the resident playboy in the guild anymore, at least he could still fight alongside him during encounters such as this one.

The leader of the thugs gaped at the blonde girl. "Huh? A _celestial_ mage?"

"That's right," Lucy told him. Then, she pulled out another gate key and pointed it forward. "Open, Gate of the Maiden—Virgo!"

Clad in a maid's uniform, Virgo appeared and then dramatically bowed down at her gate key holder, ignoring the latter's protest that she should stop doing that.

"You can leave this to us, Lucy," said Leo, his fists flaring with bright, yellow orbs.

"Yes. We'll protect you, Princess," Virgo agreed, summoning her magic chains.

But the celestial mage refused to let her zodiac spirits do all the fighting for her. She quickly pulled out her whip and grinned at them. "Look, I'm not going to just sit here and let you guys have all the fun," she said. "Besides, I can use all the training I can get!"

"_Yosh!_ That's more like it, Luce!" said Natsu, setting his own fists aflame.

"Boss, these people are mages," said one of the thugs, taking a step back. "What should we do?"

"_Baka! _These punks are freaking _kids_," their leader snarled. "There are eight of us… _Get them!_"

* * *

The guildhall was filled with surprised murmurs when Laxus and the Thunder Legion entered the double doors. The lightning mage could hear Macao and Wakaba muttering their resentment toward him as well as the other members of Fairy Tail.

But everyone suddenly became quiet when a stern voice said, "Hello, Laxus."

Laxus nodded his head at the red-haired girl wearing silver armor, a dark-blue skirt, and a pair of black boots. Behind her stood Gray, Cana, Bisca, and Alzack.

"Erza. Back from an S-Class quest, I see," he said to her casually. By now, she probably heard about what had transpired in the guild during her absence.

Erza continued to give the towering mage a hard look. "Laxus. I'm willing to forget what you did here if you swear to me that you'll _never_ pull something like that _ever_ again," she announced icily.

The Thunder Legion began to step forward to defend their leader, but Laxus held up his hand to stop them from making a scene, which he did. He could feel them seething at Erza, but he knew that they wouldn't understand. He was at fault, and he should own up to his mistake.

"You have my word, Erza," he immediately responded.

They stared at each other for a moment. Then, the redhead's face finally broke into a smile. She extended her hand in which Laxus shook firmly.

Everyone in the guildhall started talking again—this time in louder and more confident voices.

"Well, if Erza thinks it's alright to trust him…"

"If Laxus creates trouble again, Erza can definitely take him on…"

"No one's foolish enough to challenge Erza…"

Laxus ignored them and went upstairs to the second floor so he could take a look at the board for an S-Class quest. He wasn't in the mood to go to work, actually, but he knew that he could use a little distraction.

Meanwhile, Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen were waiting for their leader at the bottom of the staircase; they weren't allowed to go to the second floor yet since none of them were S-Class mages.

"Well, this is an entirely different Laxus that I'm witnessing," commented Evergreen. She turned to Freed. "What do you think?"

"Our Laxus would've laughed at Erza's warning," said the rune mage, rubbing his chin with his fingers thoughtfully. "He's… changed somehow"

"You sure sounded relieved, Freed," suggested Bixlow.

"Do I?" Freed smiled. "I've yet to meet this Lucy. Whoever she is, I think she played a role in this."

"I don't think she's here yet," said the fairy mage, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "I don't see a new face around here."

"What are you three on about?" came Laxus' irritated voice. He was already walking downstairs with a piece of paper in his hand.

Freed, in his most dignified voice, replied, "Laxus, with all due respect, we would like to meet this Lucy. When do you think she'll be here?"

The lightning mage stared at him with a crazed expression. "What?"

Evergreen beamed at him. "Yes, Laxus," she said. "Maybe we can even help change her mind about you—"

"Wait a minute," Laxus interrupted in an exasperated tone. "Can you three just stay out of my personal life? We've more important things to do."

"Don't look at me," said Bixlow, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm just going along with them."

"Come on, Laxus," the fairy mage coaxed. "We just got back here, so why can't we enjoy ourselves for a bit?"

He sighed. "Fine," he said. "I guess I could give you three a break. But I'll be heading out for this quest, though." He folded the piece of paper that he was holding and then slipped it inside his back pocket.

The Thunder Legion looked at each other, and then, to Laxus dismay, they all started laughing.

"What are you laughing about now?" he demanded, running a hand down his face. What had gotten into these idiots?

"It's you," giggled Evergreen. "You've totally changed."

_Have I really?_

Laxus could feel a blush creeping up his face. "Whatever," he muttered. "I'm leaving. You guys have fun without me."

* * *

As always, the people in Magnolia moved aside when Laxus passed by, their expressions showing either wariness or fear. He wished they could just act normal because, right now, they were making him feel more isolated and out of place.

Every fiber of his being was screaming for Lucy. He knew that whenever he would see her, let alone touch her, he would feel all his troubles ease away. There was always something about her that made him feel at peace, but he couldn't point out what it was. All he knew was that he was overwhelmingly drawn to her.

Laxus' eyes involuntarily darted to the direction of her apartment, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Get a grip, Laxus," he muttered to himself, ignoring the fact the some people were looking at him. "She already said no. Just finish your S-Class quest."

He turned around and headed in the opposite direction, but… somehow… he stopped again and glanced over his shoulder.

_Shit, I gotta see her._

Summoning his lightning magic, Laxus teleported his way to Lucy's apartment building. When he tried to turn the entrance doorknob, it was locked. Yeah, there was no way he would be knocking on the main door of the building only to be answered by a stranger asking him why he was here.

The only way to her apartment unit, if he could remember her room correctly, was through her window. He glanced up and then saw in surprise that it was slightly open. Without wasting any more time, he teleported himself into her room and then braced himself to see Lucy.

But then, to his disappointment, she wasn't there. He frowned slightly. Had she left already? She did say last night that she needed to go somewhere early, but she didn't say where.

_Where is she?_

Laxus' eyes suddenly found a piece of paper lying on her desk. He walked over to it and then saw an unfinished note:

**_Dear Natsu and Happy,_**

**_I'll be away for a bit, but I don't want you guys to worry, okay? I'll just be paying my dad another visit. I just needed to confirm something with him because I find it suspicious that—_**

And it stopped right there.

_Could something have happened to her while she was writing this note? _

The lightning mage eyed the room; there were no signs of struggle, but someone could've still abducted her since her apartment window was open.

Maybe it was all in his head. After all, he could smell Natsu and Happy's faint scent. Those two had possibly arrived before Lucy could finish writing her note, and then the three of them left the place.

Yeah. That would make a whole lot of sense.

But what if Lucy was indeed in trouble? Could he really live with himself if something happened to her?

Laxus shook his head, his mind made up.

_I better find her._


	14. The Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter 14: The Unexpected Visitor**

While some of the townspeople thanked Lucy and her friends for subduing a group of thugs, others threatened to report them for burning their property. After apologizing over and over again, they continued with their travel to the Heartfilia mansion.

It was barely noon, and Lucy had to listen to Natsu and Happy complaints about being hungry. She was, too, but she needed to endure it until they reached the next town, which was the last one that they had to pass by before they could finally reach the Heartfilia residence.

"I'm so hungry," moaned Natsu, rubbing his belly. "How far is it to the next town, Luce?"

"We're close, Natsu," replied Lucy. "Don't worry. As soon as we're there, I'm going to treat you guys to a superb restaurant."

"For real?" the fire mage yelped. "You're the best, Luce!"

The blonde girl rolled her eyes at him but smiled at the same time. She was such in high spirits after defeating those brutes who turned out to have had terrorized a lot of townspeople and travelers. Well, they were probably in jail by now and not bothering anyone ever again.

Her muscles were still sore from using her whip repeatedly earlier, but she didn't mind at all. It wasn't that she enjoyed getting into fights because she wished the world could be rid of the bad guys, but proving herself useful to her team in times of threat was no small feat to her.

Feeling a little bit of her confidence returning, she started humming softly to herself. She could feel Natsu and Happy gawking at her, but she ignored them.

"_Ne_, what are you looking so happy about, Lushi?" asked Happy.

Lucy just smiled widely. "Oh, nothing," she replied. "Just feels good to be fighting alongside you guys again."

It was the truth. After sucking at fighting Raven Tail not too long ago, she was determined that the next time she saw them, she would be much prepared.

"Look, Happy, she's being weird again," Natsu whispered to the blue feline.

"Yeah, I know. Do you think she hit her head or something?" Happy whispered back.

"I can _hear_ you, you know," grumbled Lucy.

After thirty minutes of walking, they finally arrived in a nice town filled with food establishments and inns. The Heartfilia Konzern had funded some of them, and Lucy knew the owners.

"Wow, they have lots of fish in here!" exclaimed Happy.

"And a lot of meat!" added Natsu. "Oh, yeah, I'm all fired up!"

Lucy led them to one of the restaurants where the owner was very fond of her. Her family used to dine there when her mother, Layla, was still alive.

As usual, the fire mage and the blue feline helped themselves in ordering a mountain of food. Obviously, they didn't bother to ask Lucy if it was okay, but the blonde girl didn't mind. She sure was going to go broke today, but she made a mental note to find a high paying job as soon as she got back to the guildhall.

After they were through with their lunch, they stopped by a public bathhouse to take a hot bath. Lucy was glad that she had brought spare clothes and kept them in her knapsack because the one she was wearing right now was all grimy.

Ah, the hot water felt so soothing on her skin and sore muscles. There weren't many people in the bathhouse at the moment, so she took a bath leisurely. When she was finally done, she dried herself with a towel and then slipped into a pair of clean clothes: a crimson, sleeveless top that clung to her curves and short white skirt. Then, she put on her black, leather high-heeled boots.

_Talk about picture-perfect_, she thought smugly, eyeing herself in the mirror. Yes, she did take pride in her looks even if it emanates a certain degree of vanity.

"LUCY! ARE YOU DONE YET? LUCY!"

Lucy froze after hearing Natsu's loud yell from the other side of the bathhouse; the amazing bath had made her forget that she had companions.

"HAPPY AND I WILL BE WAITING OUTSIDE, OKAY?"

"Just listen to that boy yelling," said one of the women who were taking a bath.

"HURRY UP OR WE'LL LEAVE YA!"

"How rude," another woman muttered.

The celestial mage bit back an apology since it would only reveal to the women around that she was that Lucy whom Natsu had called out. She calmly walked out of the bathroom and then dashed outside the bathhouse where Natsu and Happy were waiting cheerfully for her.

"Natsu, what were you thinking, yelling out to me like that?" she hissed, placing her hands on her hips. "There are people here, you know!"

"Ha?" uttered Natsu, raising an eyebrow. "I don't understand why ya gettin' all so worked up about that. C'mon, let's go." With that, he turned around and started walking with Happy, who was snickering.

Lucy groaned but followed suit. Moments later, she shivered, noticing that the breeze was rather chilly than when she had entered the town earlier. She looked up and saw dark clouds hovering on the sky. Spirits, it looked like it was going to rain soon.

"Oh, no," she moaned as the town started to turn dark and shadowy.

"What's the matter, Luce?" asked Natsu.

"We're going to be soaking wet by the time we reach my dad," she replied to the fire mage, pointing her finger up in the sky.

The pink-haired boy looked up and frowned. "So?"

"So?" repeated Lucy in a sharp tone. "I sure don't want to be drenched with rain! I just took a bath, you know!"

"Well, what do you wanna do?" prompted Natsu.

Lucy sighed. "Let's just… seek shelter from one of the inns for now, okay?"

The fire mage shrugged. "Okay, if that's what you want."

* * *

The innkeeper had brought Lucy and her friends into a rather small room made of wood. It included a couple of futons over a large tatami mat, a large closet, a small table with two chairs, a glass window, and another door at the far corner, which presumably was the entrance to the bathroom.

"Enjoy your stay," the innkeeper said, taking a quick bow. Then, she closed the door and left.

"Aw, man, why did it have to rain?" complained Natsu, kicking off his shoes and then stretched himself onto one of the futons.

Lucy listened to the sound of the rain splattering on the roof and then heaved a sigh. "I hope it will let up soon," she grumbled as she took a seat by the table.

There was silence for a few minutes, both mages locked into their own thoughts. Happy continued to stare through the window without uttering a word.

Moments later, the Natsu suddenly sat up with a funny expression on his face.

"What?" the blonde girl prompted, raising an eyebrow at her _nakama_ and bracing herself to hear one of his crazy antics again. She totally knew it was coming by the looks of it.

"I'm gonna go train outside," he replied simply.

And there it was.

"You're going to what now?" yelped Lucy. "But it's pouring out there!"

"That's the idea," said Natsu. "I wanna train myself in using my fire magic while it's raining. I mean, there's nothin' to do here but wait, yeah?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

The pinked-haired boy grinned and then turned to Happy. "C'mon, Happy, let's go train!"

"What?" came the blue feline's protest. "But it's cold out there!"

"C'mon, buddy. It wouldn't feel right to train without ya," he insisted. Without preamble, he picked up his small friend and then headed straight to the door. Happy continued to protest, but he couldn't squirm himself out of Natsu's arms.

"I'll come back when the rain's let up, Luce," promised Natsu, giving Lucy a small salute.

"Sure thing," muttered Lucy, waving her hand. "You guys take care of yourselves."

"You bet." With that, Natsu and Happy disappeared.

Finally alone in the room, the blonde girl walked over to the window and then watched the town's now empty streets. She caught a glimpse of Natsu running with Happy in his arms, apparently unbothered by the rain that was pouring all over them.

Shaking her head in amazement, she strode back to the small table.

_It's kind of lonely in here_, she thought, looking around the small room.

Deciding to summon Plue to keep her company in this gloomy weather, she pulled out his gate key. But before she could utter the words to open his gate, there was a clap of thunder, making her wince and almost dropping the silver key.

_Crap, that was a loud one._

Clearing her throat, she opened her mouth to summon Plue, but then she was interrupted again by a hard knock on the door. Confused, she turned and stared.

"Natsu?" she called out. "Is that you?" Well, her friend sure was quick to change his mind and decide to come back.

Lucy hurried to the door and then yanked it open, expecting to see a soaked Natsu carrying the poor feline. Instead, she saw a tall blond figure standing outside the doorway, drenched with the rain. He wore a purple shirt, a pair of black pants, and leather shoes. A black coat with fur trimming around the neck and the sleeve's edges hung from his broad shoulders.

"Laxus," she gasped, backing away from the door in shock. She wanted to ask what the lightning mage was doing here, but she found that her voice was now stuck in her throat that she couldn't utter anything.

"May I come in?" he asked, pushing back his wet blond hair from his forehead.

"Y-Yeah," the celestial mage managed to stammer, feeling her heart beating furiously in her chest. She cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. "Hang on. Let me get some towels from the bathroom.

"Sure."

Lucy practically ran to the bathroom and then shut herself there. Breathing heavily, she leaned her back against the door.

_Spirits! What's he doing here? And why am I so nervous?_

She never thought that she would see him today after their talk last night that had left her crying her heart out to sleep. The way he had hugged her before his departure felt so right that it had left her feeling confused again.

When she woke up this morning, she had convinced herself that it was for the best and focused her mind on what she needed to prioritize. It all worked out for her—until now.

Lucy looked around the bathroom in search of the towels. She found them folded neatly in the open shelving, so she took one of them and then headed back to the main room.

She saw that Laxus was already peeling off his coat and shirt, showing his broad and muscular body. Moments later, she watched him wring them out to remove the excess water and then hung them over the chairs by the table.

It was a good thing that his pair of pants weren't as soaked as the rest of his clothes, or he probably would've taken them off as well, she thought idly. Then, she shook her head. What was she thinking?

"Are you just going to watch me over there?" the lightning mage suddenly asked her, meeting her gaze.

The blonde girl blushed. "No, of course not," she replied, bristling at his absurd question. She hastily walked over to him and then handed him the towel, trying to ignore the fact that their fingers had brushed against each other.

"Thanks," he said. When he started drying himself with the towel, Lucy looked away.

"Fancy seeing you here," she mumbled. "May I ask what brings you to this town?" She probably already knew the answer as she felt the energy between them charged. There was that sexual tension again, something that she had been trying to fight off whenever they were around each other.

Without answering her question, Laxus hung the towel around his neck while he began closing the distance between them with his long strides.

_No. Not this again_, she thought desperately.

She immediately took a step back… and continued backing away as Laxus kept on walking toward her. She finally found herself backed against the wall, feeling scared yet fascinated at the same time.

"I came for you," he murmured, his deep voice sending chills down her spine.

As his massive arms caged her in on both sides, she looked up to his gray eyes with blue flecks. There were such intense emotions in there that she felt drowned by them. That was when she knew that she couldn't resist her feelings for him anymore.

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, and then she felt his lips pressed against hers. Finally abandoning self-control, she threw her arms around his neck. At the same moment, his own wrapped around her waist, lifting her off her feet.

As they continued to kiss passionately, a part of Laxus wanted to pull away for a moment to ask her if this was alright with her. He could tell from the way she kissed that she was inexperienced in that field. But another part of him wanted to consume her, strip her innocence away, and make her his woman.

Then, without warning, he stiffened slightly. He could feel Lucy's heat radiating from her body as if she was getting more and more aroused by him. She was probably acting purely on instinct, responding to his kisses with fervency and plunging her tongue into his warm mouth. He gladly welcomed her tongue, letting his own play with it.

Wanting to feel more of the lightning mage, Lucy wrapped her limbs around his waist and then tightened her arms around him.

"Lucy," came Laxus' husky voice as he lowered his arms from her waist to her limbs, supporting her against him. He felt dazed by the intimacy of their positions, and it was getting harder and harder for him to control himself. It certainly didn't help when the blonde chick broke the kiss and began nipping at his neck, causing him to groan in pleasure.

Lucy didn't comprehend any of her actions yet. She just let her senses be filled with only him—his scent, taste, and heat. Spirits, she knew that she was treading on very dangerous ground as Laxus is, after all, a man. And surely an experienced one at that.

She decided to seal his mouth with hers again, and he willingly kissed her back. He was kissing her greedily as if he couldn't get enough of her, as if this was the only time that they would be together. Whatever it was that he was uncertain of, she wanted to assure him with her lips that she wasn't going anywhere. She continued to deepen the kiss.

It took Lucy a few moments to realize that she was already being lowered down gently to the futon. Now lying down with Laxus on top of her, she could feel one of his hands slipping inside her top and caressing her waist. Spirits, she could feel her skin burn under his touch.

Then, the heat started to fan all over her limbs as she sensed his hand slowly began to travel upward. But it suddenly stopped right under her chest; it was as if Laxus was uncertain whether to touch her more intimately or not.

In truth, Lucy also wasn't sure she was ready for it, so she pulled her lips slightly away from his and then unwittingly cleared her throat.

Laxus immediately removed his hand from under her shirt, sensing her hesitation. Then, to ease the tension, he planted a soft kiss on her nose as if he was trying to tell her that he completely understood.

Relieved, Lucy looked up at him, wanting to see his handsome face; he was smiling down at her, his eyes tender and searching.

"Hi," he whispered.

She smiled backed at him. "Hi."


End file.
